Introduction pp xix xxxi 1 What are puzzles Puzzles are observations about the world that demand an explanation 2 Theory A logically consistent set of statements that explains a phenomenon of interest Theories explain puzzles 3 Describe predict prescribe They help us to describe events by identifying which factors are important and which are not We need theories to filter the events that are worth including from those that are not Theories help us to predict by offering a sense of how the world works how a change in one factor will lead to changes in behavior and outcomes And theories may help prescribe policy responses by identifying what has to be changed in order to foster better outcomes 4 Theories provide manageable explanations for complex phenomena Why simplify Given how complicated the world is simplifying it in this way may seem like a misguided pursuit We do not build theories because we think the world is simple or mechanical Rather we build them because we know the world is extraordinarily complex and the only way to understand important phenomena is to cut away some of the complexity and identify the most important factors 5 Probabilistic claims A probabilistic claim is an argument about the factors that increase or decrease the likelihood that some outcome will occur 6 The framework the three I s Interests obtain through political action are the goals that actors have the outcomes they hope to o A state may have an interest in protecting its citizens or acquiring more territory businesses generally have an interest in maximizing profits an environmental activist has an interest in protecting the atmosphere the oceans or whales o Interests What actors want to achieve through political action their preferences over the outcomes that might result from their political choices Interactions combine to produce political outcomes are the ways in which two or more actors choices o The outcomes that we observe wars or trade and financial exchanges or cooperation to protect human rights or the environment reflect the choices of many actors each looking out for his or her own interests but also taking into account the interests and likely actions of others o Interactions The ways in which the choices of two or more actors combine to produce political outcomes An Institution is a set of rules known and shared by the relevant community that structure political interactions o Institutions create procedures for making joint decisions such as voting rules they also lay out standards of acceptable behavior and often include provisions for monitoring compliance and punishing those actors that violate the rules o Institution a set of rules known and shared by the community that structure political interactions in particular ways 7 How do you apply the III framework to a particular puzzle We first think about who the relevant political actors are and what interests they have We think about the choices or strategies available to each actor how those choices interact to produce outcomes and how the strategic interaction influences what the actors actually decide to do And we think about what institutions if any might exist to govern their behavior 8 No commitment to one set of actors or interests In building explanations we do not precommit to any one set of actors or interests as being the most important regardless of issue area 9 What are assumptions assumptions are simplifying devices which means that strictly speaking none captures the exact entire truth 10 How do we judge assumptions We cannot judge whether any particular assumption about actors and interests is right or wrong rather we judge whether that assumption is useful or not useful in explaining the puzzle 11 Two broad types of interactions Bargaining something they both want describes situations in which two or more actors try to divide o An interaction in which actors must choose outcomes that make one better off at the expense of another Bargaining is redistributive it involves allocating a fixed sum of value between different actors Cooperation in a coordinated way to achieve those interests occurs when actors have common interests and need to act o An interaction in which two or more actors adopt policies that make at least one actor better off relative to the status quo without making the others worse off 12 Three levels of analysis At the international level the representatives of states with different interests interact with one another sometimes in the context of international institutions such as the UN or WTO At the domestic level subnational actors with different interests politicians bureaucrats business and labor groups voters interact within domestic institutions to determine the country s foreign policy choices At the transnational level groups whose members span borders such as multinational corporations transnational advocacy networks terrorist organizations pursue interests by trying to influence both domestic and international politics 13 Building explanations from the bottom up a two step process 1 domestic interests interactions and institutions determine the interests that state representatives bring to the international level and then 2 these interests combine in international interactions and institutions to determine the final outcome 14 Three perspectives realism liberali sm constructivism 15 Two key assumptions of realism That states are the dominant actors indeed some would say the only relevant actors on the international stage and that the institutional setting of world politics is characterized by anarchy 16 How does each perspective view actors interests interactions and institutions Look notes Chapter 1 What shaped our world 1 Difference being born in 1800 and 1900 1800 s mainly peace and prosperity minimal wars that were short lived Economies and people growth was substantial 1900 s economic struggles WWI WWII Industrialization and urbanization to developing world 2 Mercantilism Mercantilism was a system by which imperial governments used military power to enrich themselves and their supporters then used those riches to enhance their military power o Mercantilism s principal mechanism was the establishment of monopolies that controlled trade and other economic activities manipulating them so as to direct money into the coffers of the government and its business supporters An economic doctrine based on a belief that military power and economic influence were complements applied especially
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