INS 3003 Realism o State a country or nation state The largest actor in the international system An independent and legitimate entity defined by its territorial border with sovereign power to conduct its own affairs o Sovereignty a situation where the state possesses legal autonomy and can determine policy within its borders by its own authority it does not fall under the authority of any other power Sovereign states enjoy membership in the international political community o Realists are typically concerned with the interaction between states They do not deny that other bodies nations groups exist Realists do not see non states international organizations as wielding or having any influence or power over other states The primary focus is the state and its relationship with other states Classical Realism Hans Morganthau Politics Among Nations 1948 o Classical Realism theorized that states inherently are involved with the pursuit of more power within a particular region or realpolitik o Morganthau responded to American Idealism established by Woodrow Wilson during WWI o Idealists acknowledged that the world was filled with serious problems and believed that those problems that could be fixed Idealists blamed the cause of WWI on poor leadership poorly organized states and saw the European arena as broken Idealists felt an international solution could be struck by Promoting Democratic Governments Increasing communication between states Reinforce the respect of each state s sovereignty The League of Nations sought to address all three of those issues and encourage collective security to achieve safety and security for all of the states o Morganthau rejected Idealism as na ve and fellow realists recognized war as a very natural part of international relations While Classical Realists agreed on the premises of the cause of WWI poorly organized states and poor leadership they came to a different conclusion states naturally seek power relative to other states o Realists believed that states were reflective of their respective leadership Saw a very direct connection to a state s leadership and the state s behavior o Morganthau and Classical Realists Conclusion A strong state will serve as a deterrent to its enemies States should be prepared for war in order to keep itself safe If states are in a position to protect itself it will deter other states from attacking Neo Realism Structural Realism Kenneth Waltz Theory of International Politics 1979 o A more formal type of Realism and the dominant theory of Realism in the 21st Century o Waltz represented a shift in Realist thinking shifting from power towards security A state is more preoccupied with their overall security and well being Insecurity comes from a structural flaw in the international regional system o Waltz theorized that the role of the leader does not necessarily drive the state s actions Rather the regional structure plays a role in determining the behavior of states Example Hitler s Germany was not responsible for WWII The phenomenon of a strengthening nationalist Nazi Germany caused its neighbors to be threatened and aligned against Germany Germany acted prior to the alignment against it organizing and threatening them o Waltz argues that states face the situation of Self Help where they must look after their own interests because no other body will o Assumptions States are Rational Unitary Actors States Seek Security Anarchy Assumed that there is no Global Power that has any authority over the states o The UN is made up of the states recognizes the sovereignty of each one and does not have authority over any state Anarchy tends to breed insecurity o Balance of Power In order to keep the most states security a balance of power is needed A balance of power is possible in the absence of an omni powerful state and is achieved through a network of alliances Alliances must be achieved in a specific and safe way Bandwagoning to a popular major power does not work and is not sustainable o Bandwagoning when weak powers align with a major power in order to provide a sense of security o When a state bandwagons they reveal their weakness to major powers who are not necessarily benevolent A balance of power does not eliminate the chances of war happening but it serves as a deterrent to states wishing to act aggressively Factors outside of the control of states could tip the balance formation of new state technology etc o Realists are in favor of alliances so long as they serve the interest of the state Therefore realists believe alliances are not permanent and states should be able to slip into and out of alliances as it sees fit Alliances slightly diminish a state s sovereignty fighting another state s war ex WWI o Realists do think that diplomacy has value but it is not the end all be all o They are generally distrustful of other states A Realist state will not put their security solely in the hands of an international organization Example of a Realist State Israel small and in an unfriendly region o Israel s alignment to its neighbors creates a major security dilemma and it won t rely on the UN or the US to protect it o Polarity Uni Polarity Hegemonic Stability Theory When there is a single pole of power Bi Polarity Two poles of power with smaller states aligning themselves with either of the two poles Ex Cold War Most realists believe that it is the most stable relationships possible in the international arena Multi Polarity Where multiple poles of power exist Majority of realists believe it is a very unstable structure with too many major players and quick shifting alliances Realists believe that long term cooperation is difficult to achieve There is no guaranteed enforcement mechanism o Security Dilemma Prisoner s Dilemma Game Theory Both players acting independently will choose the outcome that is best for them individually but is not the best collectively Relative Gains Zero Sum Absolute Gains Non Zero Sum WWI o Germany and the Security Dilemma A new German state formed in 1871 led by Otto Von Bismark became strong and centrally located and presented a Security Dilemma for European neighbors such as France Austria Hungary and Russia o Balance of Power and Reasons for its Demise In the 20th Century two alliance systems developed the Triple Entente and the Central Powers Triple Entente UK France Portugal Italy and Russia and Belgium Central Powers Germany Austria Hungary Bulgaria and Turkey One theory is that Germany sought a
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