POLSCI 160 Chapter 4: FLS Chapter 4 (136-181)
Document Summary
Unitary state assumption: the treatment of states as coherent actors with a set of interests that belong to the state. The costs and benefits of war are not distributed equally within the country. Different actors within the state may place more or less value on the issue in dispute. Not all actors within the state have equal say over foreign policy choices and hence not all interests are represented equally. Which domestic interests drive foreign policy choices depends on two factors: the strategic interactions between actors, and the institutions within the state. War is not the choice of a single state but rather an outcome of the interaction between or among multiple states. International disputes generally arise over territory, policies, and the characteristics of countries" domestic regimes. Realism: states" interests are largely, if not entirely, dictated by external factors; states want to preserve their sovereignty and territorial integrity; fixed state interests; need for physical security.