Realist Perspective Essay

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Realist Perspective- This perspective focuses on self-help, survival and the need for more power in order to maintain security and sovereignty. This perspective can create distrust towards other actors and inhibits the ability to cooperate. However, in situations of a real threat from another country. This perspective will take steps to “even up the power” or take necessary steps to protect one’s borders (Nau 2017, 22). Liberal Perspective – The liberal perspective focuses on the need for repeated negotiations and compromise as well as bargaining in order to avert crisis or problems with other countries. This perspective focuses on common objectives as well as cooperation in order to avoid the use of force (Nau 2017, 23). The liberal perspective views reciprocal behavior and interdependence among other actors more important than how much power one has or one’s beliefs. (Nau 2017, 53). …show more content…

Therefore, this determines how a country responds ‘to institutions, interests and interactions” with other countries (Nau 2017, 61). I believe this perspective is the most accurate and useful for understanding international relations because how a country or leader responds to power or negotiations depends on their history as well as their ideas, values and beliefs. I believe it is imperative for a country to not only recognize and understand their own identity, but also recognize and understand the identity of other actors in order to have discernment in negotiations as well as maintaining and protecting their own country’s

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