Deterrence is a theory of International relations based in Realism. Essentially, it tries to explain the situation of when two or more states threaten retaliation if attacked, in order to deter the attack. It is therefore possible to very simply state deterrence as "You hit me, I hit you." For this essay, two main questions have to be addressed, ‘Has it worked?’ and ‘Does it make sense?’ To answer these questions, I will firstly define what deterrence is, I will then examine some of the main arguments
discussed topics in international relations today is the diminishing power of the nation state and subsequent growth of a global economy. Traditionally, the state is considered to play a leading role in global affairs; however, due to advances in communications technology and the expansion of international trade following the Cold War, the world has seen the establishment of an increasing number of non-state actors in global politics. The shift away from a state-centric model of international government has
Theories of International Politics and Zombies by Daniel W. Drezner, answers many questions about international relations. Drezner essentially looks at how the IR theories that we learned in class could potentially be applied to a war with zombies. Throughout the book, Drezner looks at realism, liberalism, constructivism, feminism, neoconservatism, domestic policy, bureaucratic politics, and psychological responses. How Drezner compares these international relations theories to zombies is really
Although there are some benefits that derive from an analysis based on the third image, it is arguable that all the three levels of analysis (individual, state and system levels) are strongly interconnected. Therefore, when analysing the international system or an international issue, it seems almost impossible to think merely at the system level, without even considering the domestic and the individual ones. This essay will expand that thesis firstly by giving a brief explanation of the concept of level
central to the study of international politics. International politics has been defined in terms of influencing major nations in the world to advance the purpose of a nation against the opposition of other nations. Thus, it is rather not surprising that power, either by means of influence or control, has been a dominant concept that is intertwined in discussion when it comes to the study of international politics. Before getting into the fundamental nature of power in international relations, it is needed
"Should international relations theory be held accountable for explaining fundamental changes in the hierarchy of international politics and the emergence of new actors?" It seems absurd to answer that international relations theory should not be in the business of explaining fundamental changes in international politics. However, this response paper will argue on both edges of the question. First, it actually does make sense to attempt to hold as many things as possible constant, or as "givens"
Constructivism Alexander Wendt in his work entitled Social Theory of International Politics (1999) explain the basic propositions of constructivism, arguing that “structures of human association are determined primarily by shared ideas rather than material forces; thus, identities and interests of purposive actors are constructed by these shared ideas rather than given by nature” (Palan, 2000, p. 576). As such, these shared ideas construct identities and interests. In this regard, Wendt supports
Morgenthau said that “International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power.” The world of global politics is dynamic where every action results in a complex outcome. International relations are affected by sovereign states, militias, terrorists, strategic alliances and global organizations. However, there is uncertainty in the world due to natural disasters, environmental changes, economic instability and geographic, as well as demographic changes. In order to process the intricate
Realism; focusing on the theory’s core assumptions about the International System and how it interacts with units. I will discuss the theory in relation to the international politics of the region, with particular reference to the build up to the Iran-Iraq war. Neo-Classical Realism has updated and systematized certain insights from Classical Realism , as well as incorporated key tenets from other Realist paradigms. For Realists, the International System is anarchic; creating the conditions of self-help
first heard the name Condoleezza Rice, I didn't know who she was either. III. Today, I am here to tell you about Condoleezza Rice, our Secretary of State. IV. I will tell you about her childhood life, what she did before she became involved with politics, and how her political career started. (Let me start by telling you a little information about when she was a little girl.) Body I. Condoleezza Rice claims that her childhood taught her determination against adversity. A. Born on November
philosophical account of human history (eighth and ninth propositions), it will provide a brief explanation of John Rawls’ contemporary, Kantian influenced “Law of Peoples” and will finally briefly observe Kantian influence in contemporary international politics offering some critique of the Kantian universal notion of freedom. Kant begins the essay with an account of nature. The first proposition describes a determinism in nature “All natural capacities of a creature are destined sooner or later
on international politics that points out where our own gov... ... middle of paper ... ...ve a debt to owe to immoral or unjust laws that harm other people or groups of peoples. So to restate myself it is completely justifiable to break a law if it can be seen as unjust or destructive to many peoples. Dr. King would have been more than right by helping a Jew in Nazi Germany even though it was to be considered illegal. Works Cited Huston, Tim. "International Politics
in the Rhine province of Prussia, now in Germany. Marx was an economic theorist who composed the idea of communism which included the idea of all the people owning all the property and infrastructure. These theories played a large role in international politics and the cold war in the mid to late 20th century. Marx was the oldest surviving boy of nine children. (Perhaps this is where his theory on equality of resources began. Competing with eight brothers and sisters for attention would have seen
changed and are willing to do whatever possible to prevent future events of this magnitude. Another characteristic that the Cold War Period and 9/11 hold in common is that both “were a pervasive political and military competition that dominated international politics.” (Snow, page 97) The major threat is different with the 9/11 acts. Not only is their strong and realized fear of asymmetrical acts of war. The U.S. is now a much more vulnerable nation than in the past. The U.S. does not only have to worry
that “there can be no independent standard for determining which of many rival interpretations […] is the right one” (Fish). Postmodernists thus assign the label “opinion” to most qualitative concepts: a belief in an afterlife, bagels, and international politics cannot be judged on the same scale. This is very egalitarian, allowing people to have personal beliefs while not necessarily bothering others with them. Even in light of the fundamentalist wave that crashed after the terrorist attacks of
and international politics. Presently the world's largest consumer of oil, the U.S. depends on Saudi Arabia and much of the Middle East for the energy to run its businesses, its homes, and most importantly, its automobiles. In the past few months U.S. consumers have felt the pressures of increasing gasoline prices as they struggle to commute and live their daily lives. This leaves the U.S. with important decisions to be made on behalf of its citizens and its position in the international realm
Great Departure illustrates very well the United State’s evolution from a traditionally isolationist nation to an interventionist nation. WWI literally dragged the U.S. out of its isolationist shell and placed the U.S. at the forefront of international politics. The pressure to join WWI was resisted greatly by the Wilson administration and the country as a whole. Smith does an excellent job at presenting the factors that influenced the U.S. to enter the war and at conveying the mind set of American
passed by popular referendum in 1963 which gave the president wide-ranging powers and few restraints. During his three years as President of Algeria, Ben Bella made some attempts to revive Algeria, but eventually succumbed to the vanity of international politics and domestic autocracy. He never really grappled with the country's hard-core problems of unemployment and the deficit of technical and administrative skills that prevented the country becoming a modern nation. In 1965 Defence Minister Houari
necessary for survival. One must depend on themselves, because no one else will look out for them. Information Warfare has become a massly used tactic by individuals as well as companies looking out for their own survival, in a world of commerce, and politics. Information Warfare is an innovative and dangerous new way to harm your opponents. When one thinks of warfare the mind is usually bombarded by thoughts of M16’s, grenades, and hand to hand combat. In this new era of technology that we are
allies. The Soviet Union and its allies were refereed to as the Eastern Bloc and the United States and its allies were referred to as the Western Bloc. The Cold War period lasted from the mid-1940’s until the late 1980’s. During this period international politics were shaped by this intense rivalry between this two great blocs of power and the political ideologies they represented. The United States and its allies represented democracy and capitalism while the Soviet Union and its allies represented