Theories of International Relations- IPE and Marxism The IPE analysis: issues, approach

and problems Three classical theories in the IPE

field Neo-Marxism

The International Political Economy analysis Focus: the interplay between politics and economics in

the international contextPolitics: pursuit of power/ Economics: pursuit of wealth Issues: wealth and poverty; governance Actors: social/ institutionalized; private/ public; formal/

informal; global/ local Level of analysis: cutting across domestic and

international levels of analysis Premises- political and economic realms are inextricably linked- political action affects greatly the establishment and

transformation of the economic structures- the connection between domestic and international

levels of analysis

Three classical theories of IPE? (Jackson & Sorensen)

Mercantilism Economic Liberalism

Marxism

Relationship b/n economics and politics

Politics decisive

Economics autonomous

Economics decisive

Main actors/ units of analysis

States Individuals Classes

The nature of economic relations

Conflictual zero-sum game

Cooperative positive-sum game

Conflictual

Economic goals

State power Maximum individual well-being

Class interests

Neo-Marxism Dependency theorists (Andre Gunter Frank) uneven

development and inequalities of capitalist system; the North-South divide is global in scope

Robert Cox: crossing level of analysis/ a wide range of public and private actors/ a pattern of global governance

- ‘historical structures’: particular configuration of forces: material capabilities, ideas, institutions: ‘social forces’- process of capitalist production; ‘forms of state’ and ‘world order’

Immanuel Wallerstain-the ‘world system’ concept (a political and an

economic structure with one depending on the other): world-empires and world economies