International Relations Theory-Images

• Realism

• Pluralism

• Globalism

Actors in international relations

• States

• Nonstate actors

• Transnational organizations

• Intergovernmental organizations

Distinctions between these images

• Key actors/units-analytical units

• Assumptions

• Methodologies

• Construction and testing of hypothesis

• Behavioral dynamic

• issues

Realism

• States are the key units of analysis

• States are unitary actors

• State is essentially a rational actor

• National security is the most important international issue

Pluralism/Liberalism

• Nonstate actors are also important in IR

• State is not a unitary actor

• Challenge the utility of the rationality assumption

• Agenda of international politics is extensive, cannot be deduced only to security

Globalism

• Main unit of analysis is the global context in which states interact

• International relations have to viewed from a historical perspective

• Mechanisms of domination/dependency between the actors

• Emphasize the critical importance of economic factors

Levels of Analysis

• Individual Level analysis

• State Level analysis

• International System/system level analysis

Individual level analysis

• Personality of the leaders

• Perceptions/misperceptions

• Groupthink

• Health of the leaders

• Frustration-aggression thesis

State level analysis

• Nationalism

• Type of a political system-democracy or dictatorship

• Bureaucratic decision making

• Public opinion

• Domestic factors

System level

• Alliance formation

• Distribution of power

• Bargaining

• Wars/systemic change

Trends

• Global interdependence

• Changing nature of problems

• Crisis of authority

Interdependence

• Sensitivity Changes in one actor might influence change

in another actor-assume more or less equal distribution of power

• Vulnerability Changes in one actor causes significant

change in another actor-dependent relationship

International relations theories

• Rationalist approaches

realism

institutionalism

• Sociological approaches

constructivism

State Interests

• Security

• Economy

• Identity

State :Definition

• Sovereignty

• Political equality

• Diplomatic recognition

• Territoriality

• Well defined population