Building Blocks of International System

As the "principal actor" in the international system the state is primarily concerned with its own survival in a hostile and anarchic world. The state will attempt to amass as many resources as possible to build up its strength. This help ensure that it remains sovereign, and "promotes" the interests of its supporters who are the individuals who make up the state. This is like the quote where a ruler will amass as much power as possible to both stay in power and stay relevant to their supporters by promoting the interests of their supporters. Since a state is basically a group of people the ruler is also a person, however because they are the decision maker of the state they function as a rational actor promoting the interest of the state.

Statism is an idea that the state is an accurate representative of the will of its people. [4] The state is sovereign and therefore is able to govern itself as it wants. With this sovereignty that state is able to institute security. After a state has established security it is then able to continue with a communal culture. In international relationships however sovereignty does not supply security therefore a state must vie with its neighboring states to accomplish it.

Web. 16 Dec. 2015. "Arguments for Nuclear Abolition." ICAN. N.p., n.d.

The defining characteristic of the state is the ability to wield power. The use of power, both inside and outside of one’s border, directly speaks to the sovereignty of the nation. If a nation is incapable of disciplining or punishing its citizens it will invariably become a failed state. Moreover if a country isn’t recognized as powerful in the global political arena, that country stands a very good chance of being dominated by a nation who has the capacity to enforce its own will. The use, or at least the perception, of power is so fundamental in nationhood that those who wield the most power can easily dictate world events.

WORKS CITED: "War, Propaganda and the Media." - Global Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

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29 Oct. 2013. Robock, Alan, and Owen Brian Toon. "Self-Assured Destruction: The Climate Impacts Of Nuclear War." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 68.5 (2012): 66-74. Academic Search Premier.

International recognition is vital for these countries, for it is within this construct that sovereignty is built upon—it gives individual countries a sense of independence. Since the region does share an Ibero/Luso patrimony of colonialism, their territorial disputes have not been immune to conflict. In essence, Latin American behavior is indifferent to how the rest of the international community behaves with each other. Drawing from Kenneth Waltz’ neorealism theory where he establishes the belief in a self-help system of international politics, states must rely on their own resources and capabilities defend itself from external forces. From this realist perspective we start to see a foundation to the region’s for... ... middle of paper ... ...rnational organizations‬.

There is a non-linear relationship of power between the plural perspectives of realism. Realists consider states to be the principal actors in international relations as they are deeply concerned with the security of their own nation especially for the pursuit of national interest. However with this perspective there has been some scepticism with regards to the relevancy of morality and ethi... ... middle of paper ... ... anarchy to be autonomous via threats, coercion and by ‘soft power’. Using coercion is hard power. Persuasion and attraction is soft power.

According to the Realists, because states (especially the most powerful) are the actual decision makers in intergovernmental organizations, the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other U.S. alliances act only according to the ideas of the United States and other powerful countries. These entities do not make real decisions without U.S. approval and, thus, act simply as extensions of U.S. foreign p... ... middle of paper ... ...nt demonstrates a country’s need to protect its territorial integrity amidst world anarchy, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs illustrates the important role of fulfilling safety needs in order to self-actualize, and recent attacks on U.S. soil reveal the real threat to American national security that remains today. If the United States is to continue to be a world superpower, it must ensure that American values, lives, property, and way of life are in no way undermined. One can see that making national security its primary goal in foreign policy will help the United States make certain that it continues to be a formidable force in world politics. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] All information on Maslow’s hierarchy is from a Yahoo word search: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.