ASSUMPTIONS/OBSERVATIONS:

1. Human Nature makes people self-interested ("inherent dark side")

2. The International System has a legal/authority structure of ANARCHY--it consists of sovereign states and has NO CENTRAL AUTHORITY, or no higher authority above the state.

3. States can be thought of as unitary rational actors who pursue their self-interest (i.e., you can think of them as a single person--like "Washington" or "Moscow")

• States will have conflicting interests that can lead to violence and war

5. POWER, especially military power, is crucial in determining outcomes of conflict and war

• All states try to increase, maintain, and demonstrate power (and/or security), so international politics is fundamentally a "struggle for power". States which do not maximize their power will, in the long run, be vulnerable to manipulation, invasion, and loss of sovereignty
• BUT, the anarchic structure of the system leaves states in a situation we call the SECURITY DILEMMA-actions which make one state feel more secure often make other states insecure.

8. So, conflict and war are inevitable in the long run due to the anarchy of the system as well as human nature.

1. States should increase or maintain their power

--each state must guarantee its own security--"self-help"

--security is best maintained by defense spending, alliances, and dividing one's enemies

2. Avoid a short term power loss

--only expend significant resources if vital national interests are at stake

3. Be ethical, but if forced to choose between Ethics and Power, choose Power

--"do good only if the price is low"

4. DETER WAR by building your own power

5. Promote BALANCES OF POWER, both regional and global, to deter war. This means that you act to keep any single state or coalition from becoming so powerful either regionally or globally that it can dominate others states in the system.

6. Use Diplomacy and International Law to make conflict less frequent and less violent

7. But remember, war is inevitable in the long run.

1. Domestic Politics, Ideology, Leadership, and other state-level factors do not matter much in international affairs-realists pay attention to a state's power and the balance of power.

2. High politics (military issues) are more important than low politics (economics, environment)

    "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

    "The world is a dangerous place."

II. IDEALISM (Also called Liberalism or Globalism)

This theory is more prescriptive than realism, and is largely a critique of realist theory. Rather than telling us how states will act, it focuses on how they should act to create a more peaceful world.

1. Human nature is not so bad, and it does not condemn us to violence and war.

2. The Anarchic structure of the international system is the root cause of war.

3. Ethics, Ideology, Leaders, and Form of government DO matter--How a country treats its own citizens tells us a lot about how aggressive it will be in the international arena

1. REDUCE INTERNATIONAL ANARCHY by creating MORE CENTRAL COORDINATION in the international system (not the "world government" that some fear!). States need to pursue policies that reduce the security dilemma caused by the anarchic legal structure of the system. This creates the basis for long term peace.

A) INCREASE INTERDEPENDENCE among states

B) STRENGTHEN THE RULE OF LAW

C) SUPPORT DEMOCRACY

    -increase trade

    -increase interaction through cultural exchanges, tourism

-Support HUMAN RIGHTS, which protects individuals against abuses by sovereign states

-Avoid the unilateral use of force against other states

-In general, use ethical means to carry out foreign policy. Be ethical even if it seems to hurt your state's power in the short run--it will help create a more just and peaceful world in the long run

• SUPPORT DEMOCRACY, which helps both A and B. The philosopher Immanuel Kant argued in 1795, and political scientists have verified to date, that democracies rarely if ever fight wars against other democracies. Democracies have norms against using violence against their own people, and operate internally based on the rule of law; perhaps these factors make them more likely to obey international law and less likely to start wars. However, democracies do fight wars against non-democracies at an alarmingly high rate.

IDEALIST SLOGANS:

   "Build community."

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