Thinking and Caring about World Politics

“Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor; suit the action to the word, the word to the action.”

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Putting World Events in Context:

Thinking Theoretically

Realism vs. Liberalism (Idealism)

Two Competing Worldviews

Realism and Idealism: Some Travel Notes on Two Roads

Understanding the basics Realism: The traditional path that emphasizes the centrality of the state on the world stage and the pursuit of national self-interest above all else

Idealism: The alternative path that emphasizes a more cooperative, globalist approach and the important role of global institutions and regional organization as authoritative actors on the world stage

Realism and the Nature of Politics

Influence of Thomas Hobbes and Hans Morgenthau: conflict is inevitableLargely pessimistic: Humans are aggressive and self-serving, and they are unlikely to changeNeorealism: Focus on anarchic nature of world system based on competing sovereign states

Liberalism and the Nature of Politics

Influence of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: humans join civil societies and cooperate to achieve mutual benefits

Neoliberalism: Emphasize international organization to build effective cooperation (aka – neoliberal institutionalism)

The Roles of Power and Principles

Realism: an emphasis on powerPower-based perspective--survival of the most powerfulEmphasizes pragmatic, self-help policy prescriptions‘Might makes right’

Liberalism: an emphasis on principles Based on cooperative and ethical standards Seeks to create policy norms of justice and peace ‘Right makes right’

Prospects for Competition and CooperationRealism: realpolitik

approachPlace own country's interests first Practice balance-of-power politicsAchieve peace through strength Do not waste power on peripheral issues

Liberalism: globalist approach

Power is not the essence of international relations

Power politics is futile and destructive

Peace is achieved through cooperative relations

Willingness to surrender some sovereignty to international structures promoting cooperation

Assessing Reality:Realism and Liberalism

Comparing the ability of realism or idealism to explain world history

Competition has dominated world history

Realpolitik is the order of the day

Both realism and idealism influence current policy

‘What should be’ and ‘What will be’ remain far more important questions than ‘What is’

“All the world’s a stage, and all the

men and women merely players.” Shakespeare

The Evolution of The International System

“I am amazed, me thinks, and lost my wayAmong the thorns and dangers of the world.”

-William Shakespeare, King John

Global Actors: Meet the Cast

States

IGOs and NGOs

MNCs

Individuals

Power DistributionPolarity refers to the number of independent power centers in the system.

Multipolar system: Has five or six centers of power, which are not grouped into alliances.Tripolar system: With three great centers of powerUnipolar system: Has a single center of power around which all others revolve (hegemony)

Power transition theoryHolds that the largest wars result from challenges to the top position in the status hierarchy, when a rising power is surpassing or threatening to surpass the most powerful state. But does this apply in today’s world? If so, how?

Figure 2.3

The Modern International System

The Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

Emphasis on state sovereignty within anarchical political system

Decline of papal authority

Collapse of multinational empires

The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries:

Emerging Themes Surrounding the Sovereign State Growth of the multipolar system and the preservation of the balance of power

Shifting alliances and numerous major powers

Era of Euro-American imperialism

The Twentieth Century :A Period of Rapid Change

Democracy rapidly eroding the legitimacy of monarchs

Nationalism increasingly undermining the foundations of multiethnic empires

Europe collapses as a global power center

The United States, Japan, and even China emerge as major world powers

Multipolar system quickly becomes a bipolar system with the end of WWII and the beginning of the cold war

The Rise of the Bipolar System

East-West Axis established; cold war runs its course

Containment Doctrine--globalization of U.S. policy

Confrontation--Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam, NATO

Détente

The fall of the USSR and the end of bipolar system

The Twenty-First Century: The Genesis of a New System

Changes in the Power Stucture:A unipolar moment–U.S. hegemony

The multipolar urges–regional powers such as the European Union

Limited unipolarity–power of states restrained by international organizations, international law, and interdependence

Future polarity–highly contested

Weakening Western OrientationColonial possessions become independent states

Increase in number of non-Western independent states:

Strong presence in UN

Joining together to promote their causes (Group of 77)

Different value systems

Less developed countries

Challenges to Authority of States

External challenges--McWorld

Political integration:

Increase in number and importance of international actors

Economic interdependence

Social integration

Internal challenges— Jihad

Ethnic rivalries and tribalism:

State disintegration e.g., former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Sudan and Darfur

Increased number of refugees Movement toward autonomy (e.g., Quebec)

Clash of Civilization

Huntington argues the real conflicts in the post-Cold War World will not be between nations but between civilizations.7-Western, Slavic, Islamic, Latin, Confucia (Chinese), Hindu, and Japanese.Competing cultures cause conflict.

Biggest Conflict: Islam vs. Others“Islam has bloody borders.”Examples:-Arab-Israeli conflict.-Russia-Chechen Wars.-Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia.-Lebanon.-India-Pakistan.-International Terrorism

Huntington argues within Islam there is a epic struggle over who will govern Muslim countries: moderates vs. fundamentalists (Islamists-Sharia).Sudan and Iran Islamist States.Algeria, Pakistan, TurkeyWest versus Islam-History

Security in the Twenty-First CenturyNational security traditionally based on self-reliance

High costs involved in providing security:

Economic and human costs of war.

Advent of WMDs changes the nature of such costs

Asymmetrical warfare: new responses toward unconventional political violence needed

Alternatives to self-reliance:

Arms control

International security forces

Economic Interdependence Transnational flow of trade, investment capital and currencies linking all countriesCreation and strengthening of global and regional economic organizations (World Bank, IMF, the WTO, and the EU)Emphasis on free trade, particularly within regional alliances (NAFTA, EU, ASEAN and Mercosur)Trade and monetary tensions still exist

Economic Disparity: The growing gap between North and South

GNP disparity between EDCs and LDCs

Less developed countries demand new international economic order– ne with an equal distribution of wealth

EDCs must recognize the complex link between poverty and political violence

The Quality of Life in the 21st Century

Increasing importance of human rights

Women’s rights

International Criminal Court

Emphasis on the environment

Idea of sustainable development

Conclusion:Understanding the concept of an international political system

• The world is more than just the sum of its parts (countries)

• World politics is more than just the sum of the individual interactions among those parts

• There are general patterns of actions among the system’s actors