WHAT IS THEORY?

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ESSENTIALS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
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Chapter 3
Contending Perspectives How to Think about
International Relations Theoretically


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What Is Theory? Making Sense of International
Relations

• Theory is a set of propositions and concepts
  which explains phenomena by specifying
  relationships among the concepts.
• Theory generates hypotheses
• Specific statements positing a relationship among
  variables
• By testing interrelated hypotheses theory is
  verified and refined and new relationships found

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The Individual Level of Analysis

• Personality
• Perceptions
• Choices
• Activities of decision makers

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The State Level of Analysis

• Characteristics of the state
• Type of government
• Type of economic system
• Interest groups

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The International Level of Analysis

• General characteristics of the interactions among
  states and international organizations
• Includes the distribution of power among these
  actors

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Explanations for the United States Invasion of
Iraq in 2003 by Level of Analysis

• Individual Level
• Saddam was evil leader who committed atrocities
• Saddam was irrational, otherwise he would have
  capitulated to superior capability of the U.S.
  and British coalition
• G.W. Bush and his advisers have targeted Saddam
  since the late 1990s

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Explanations for the United States Invasion of
Iraq in 2003 by Level of Analysis (cont.)

• State Level
• U.S. must protect its national security Iraqs
  weapons threaten U.S. security
• Ousting Taliban from Afghanistan was first step
  in war on terrorism Iraq is the second
• U.S. must be assured of stable oil supply Iraq
  has second largest oil reserves
• U.S. must not permit terrorist states access to
  weapons
• U.S. national interest to build progressive Arab
  regime

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Explanations for the United States Invasion of
Iraq in 2003 by Level of Analysis (cont.)

• International Level
• UN resolutions condemning Iraq had to be enforced
  to maintain UN legitimacy
• Unipolar international system is uniquely capable
  of responding to threats to stability
• There is international moral imperative for
  humanitarian intervention to oust evil leaders
  and install democratic regimes

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Development of the Liberal Tradition

• 18th century Enlightenment
• individuals are rational
• people have capacity to improve their condition
• Kant anarchy is overcome through collective
  action
• 19th century liberalism
• individual freedom and autonomy in democratic
  state
• free trade and commerce create
  interdependencies reducing likelihood of war
• 20th century idealism
• Wilson war is preventable

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Neoliberal Institutionalism

• Who do states choose to cooperate with?
• Prisoners dilemma cooperation because in self
  interest
• Institutions may be established for cooperative
  purposes

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Liberalism / Neoliberal Institutionalism
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Realism Basic Assumptions

• Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War
• State is principal actor
• State is unitary actor
• Decision makers are rational actors
• States need to protect themselves from foreign
  and domestic enemies

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Contributions Of Other Realist Theorists

• St. Augustine man is egoistic and selfish
• Machiavelli promote use of alliances and
  defensive strategies to promote the state
• Hobbes states exist in an anarchic
  international system

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Contemporary Realism

• Morgenthau, authored Politics Among Nations (the
  realist Bible)
• conflict is best managed through balance of
  power.
• Kennan author of U.S. containment policy to
  prevent the spread of communism.
• Kissinger practiced balance of power politics.

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Not All Realists Agree On Policy

• Offensive realistscannot be certain of enemys
  intentions, so improve own power position.
• Defensive realistsdefensive postures (military,
  diplomatic, economic) do not directly threaten
  other states.

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Neorealism

• Waltz, Theory of International Politics
• Structure of the international system determines
  state behavior
• System lacks an overarching authority
• Importance of distribution of capabilities of
  states
• Balance of power among states is determined by
  structure of the system
• International cooperation is unlikely because of
  possibility of cheating

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Many Realisms

• No single tradition of realism
• Agree on unitary autonomous state in an
  international anarchic system

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Realism / Neorealism
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Radical Perspective

• Many radicalisms
• Core set of beliefs found in historical analysis
  of Marx economic determinism, an international
  hierarchy, and a commitment to social change
• Seek to explain relationship between means of
  production, social relations, and power

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Contending Interpretations Of Radicalism

• Wallerstein historical development of
  world-capitalist-system division into core,
  semi-periphery, and periphery.
• Hobson explains roots of imperialism, economic
  expansion caused by overconsumption of goods and
  underconsumption in other areas of the world.
• Dependency theories states are constrained by
  international economic system, including
  multinational corporations possibility of change
  is slim.

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Radicalism / Dependency Theory
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Constructivism

• State behavior shaped by elite beliefs,
  identities, social norms
• Individuals forge and change culture through
  ideas and practices
• National interests are ever changing
• Source of power is ideas
• Material structures explain little emphasis on
  normative structures

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Theory in Action 2003 Iraq War

• Liberals emphasize individual and state levels of
  analysis
• U.S. acts to eliminate threat of Saddam and his
  support to terrorists
• Goal of spreading democracy to a vital region
• Dismayed by the weak international coalition
• Realists see international anarchy
• Only the hegemonic U.S. can counter Iraqi threat
  
• US seek to protect self from Iraqs weapons of
  mass destruction and secure oil supplies
• Radicals critical of U.S. need for Iraq oil

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French View of U.S. Iraq PolicyTheory in
Practice

• Liberal View France supports multilateral
  solutions and international law without UN
  approval, U.S. actions are illegitimate French
  public opposes U.S. action
• Radical View U.S. acting as imperial power
  France opposes that exercise of power
• Realist View French opposition is based on its
  own self-interest France has become less secure
  after the U.S. invasion France seeks to balance
  U.S. power encourage a multipolar system

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Contending Theoretical Perspectives
Liberalism / Neoliberal Institutionalism Realism / Neorealism Radicalism / Dependency Theory Constructivism
Key Actors States, nongovernmental groups, international organizations International system, states Social classes, transnational elites, multinational corporations Individuals, collective identities
View of the Individual Basically good capable of cooperating Power seeking selfish antagonistic Action determined by economic class Major unit, especially elites
View of the state Not an autonomous actor having many interests Power seeking unitary actor following its national interest Agent of the structure of international capitalism executing agent of the bourgeoisie State behavior shaped by elite beliefs, collective norms, and social identity
View of the international system Interdependence among actors international society anarchic Anarchic reaches stability in balance-of-power system Highly stratified dominated by international capitalist system Nothing explained by international structures alone
Beliefs about change Probable a desirable process Low change potential slow structural change Radial change desired Belief in evolutionary change
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