Realism

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Realism
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Assumptions

• States unitary, rational actors
• -Treaty of Westphalia (1648)
• Anarchy no central government
• Survival primary objective
• Pursuit of power

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Implications for State Behavior

• Security top concern
• Security dilemma
• Maximize absolute and relative power
• Balance rather than bandwagon
• Cooperation rare

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Balancing Power

• Internally
• Increase relative capabilities
• Externally
• Enter into alliances

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System Dynamics

• Focus on great powers
• Balance of power stability
• Change in resources -gt turbulence in the system
• Rules made by and for strong states

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Classical Realism

• Aristotle The Peloponnesian War
• Hans Morgenthau Politics Among Nations (1948)
• Assumptions based on analogy with human nature
• Humans inherently seek power and domination
• First image theory

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Structural Realism

• Kenneth Waltz Man, State and War (1954)
• Theory of International Politics (1979)
• John Mearsheimer The Tragedy of Great Power
  Politics (2001)
• Assumptions follow from the structure of the
  international system
• Third image theory

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Policy Implications of Realism

• Domestic politics irrelevant
• Universal rights and norms not applicable to the
  international realm
• High vs. Low politics
• Get involved in low politics only in ways that
  advance high politics

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Analytical Advantages

• Parsimonious explains a lot with little
• Captures key characteristics of the international
  system
• Persistence of conflict vindicates theory
• Emphasizes continuity

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Analytical Weakness

• Accounts for continuity, but not very well for
  change
• Better able to explain than predict
• Cannot account for persistence of cooperation
• Domestic politics matter increasingly
• Self-fulfilling circular prophesy about the
  inevitability of great power war?

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The Peloponnesian War