Foreign Policy one state s decisions and actions in its relations with all actors operating International Relations The politically relevant interactions among two or more actors Chapter 11 Politics Across Borders outside the state s borders from different states Perspectives on States Behaviors Realist and Idealist Perspectives on the States Motives While a state has sovereign rights within its borders politics outside of them can easily affect security Facing a security dilemma Politics among states is considered anarchic a state s security is always at risk because there is no overarching authority that can impose order and good behavior on all the states There are two theories as to why states act the way they do Political Realism people are naturally disposed to base their behavior on self interest Thus the goal of each state is to ensure its own security Political Idealism aka political liberalism states that human nature is basically good People and the states they construct can be altruistic and cooperative There are two smaller theories worth noting Constructivism it is important to recognize that actors have unique understandings of events based on knowledge and experience and culture shapes relations Feminist says women have different political orientations than men due to socialization and possibly biology Women are more inclined to cooperation A Geopolitical Perspective Geopolitics the geography of a state physical characteristics like location topography and its natural and human resources population fossil fuel resource water land might significantly affect internal and external politics of a state Mechanisms of Political Cooperation Across Borders There are several patterns of behavior a state can adopt to be non conflictual Altruism state acts in accordance with moral principles not national interest Accommodation state makes concessions on one of more values of importance to promote an acceptable outcome o nonviolence resolution common ground Neutrality state claims to be impartial among competing states and to refrain from supporting any state in a conflict Diplomacy and Interstate Agreements Diplomacy allows for state representatives to engage in discussion and negotiations with other states thus to promote their own interests peacefully More explicit agreements can take the form of Treaties formal agreements between states that they will cooperate or assist each other International Regimes a set of norms rules and procedures accepted by many countries that guide their behavior regarding a particular issue area World trade organization is one of the most powerful International Law the broadest attempts to formalize and constrain the interactions among states Grotius introduced natural law universal principles of behavior that are recognizable through human reason and human nature that direct us to act with goodness Positivist Law explicit written agreements that define both appropriate and unacceptable behaviors between states International Court of Justice at Hague was created to adjudicate violations of international law International Organizations broad term for transnational institutions whose core objectives include actions to influence the behavior and politics of states and other transborder actors Transnationalism institutions of actors who engage in significant array of activities that cross state borders IGOs Intergovernmental Organizations political institutions whose members are states not private groups or individuals Often established to intervene in disputes Include EU NATO ASEAN WTO International Monetary Fund IMF and World Health Organization Most important is the UN which has 5 parts with different functions Security Council directly manages international conflicts Includes five permanent members China Russia UK US and France Can have peacekeeping operations impartial multinational military and civilian force authorized by the council with the consent of the disputing parties General Assembly representatives hold a forum to discuss global issues development Economic and Social Council promotes economic cooperation and Secretariat central bureaucracy in charge of day to day operations Headed by secretary general International Court of Justice judicial body NGOs MNCs Nongovernmental Organizations Nonstate actors private individuals or groups who work actively in a particular issue area International ones often work together with gov ts and with IGOs Work almost like national interest groups Multinational Corporatiosn powerful firms that produce and sell a diversity of goods in many countries in pursuit of private profit Like Exxon Samsung yada yada They are influential in the global system because Function like a globalized network so can move between countries to exploit the good and avoid the bad Have product diversification because they can shift balance of production to certain goods They can transform themselves by breaking up units merging with others or shutting down divisions Political Competition Across Borders Power politics often play a huge role through soft power through cultural infusion exchange power where a state can offer or withhold something to force another state to do something The second often includes sanctions a group of states combine to withhold a desired good in order to pressure a state Transnational Systems of Power Balance of Power a rough equality in the power resources political economic and especially military that can be exercised by sets of competing states There are 6 main elements to this notion It is an attempt to maintain stability in relations and preserve status quo Assumes peace can be maintained is aggressor states are deterred There are few major power states that are decisive in controlling power These states create shifting alliances passed on self interest not friendship One or more power state must intervene if the behavior of one threatens There will be periodic political violence because states must use force to preserve themselves Hegemony sustained domination of the international system Mutually Assured Destruction MAD a form of balance of power politics that is dangerous but essentially keeps people from starting wars Domination and Dependence Based on Economic Military and Political Leverage Colonialism Imperialism Colonialism or imperialism is one state having extensive dominance over another state including manipulation or control of key economic and military structures for the benefit