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Global Politics
Chapters 1-3
Chapter 1
Introduction: Into A New Country
“Global politics is a complex congruence of physical and intellectual
power, political structures and institutions, and personalities.”
Approximately 83% of all Canadian exports are traded to
the United States.
High Politics concern state security, grand strategies,
and the use of military force.
Low Politics concern trade, investment, culture, and
environmental problems.
Unilateral are actions performed by a single state.
Multilateral are actions performed by many states.
Post international politics is an age characterized by the
“decline of long standing patterns” leaving us uncertain
about “where the changes may be leading”.
The Interdisciplinary, Yet Divided, Discipline
“Indeed knowledge may be power, but it must make sense to be of any use.”
Subfields of International Relations
International Relations theory is a body of literature that
seeks to explain the nature of the international system
and the behaviour of the actors within it.
International security had traditionally involved the study
of conflict and war and the attempts to prevent or control
it.
International political economy is the study of issues. For
example: trade, finance, foreign dept. Underdevelopment
became increasingly prominent in international affairs.
International organization is the study of institutions. For
example, the United Nations is generally focused on
means of co-operation such as establishment of regimes
or agreements among states, groups, or individuals.
Three Main Levels of Analysis
Individual Level of Analysis focuses on the decisions of
individuals, and the perceptions, values and experiences
that motivate those decisions. It generally emphasizes
the role of political leaders, for those individuals that
have the most influence on history.
State or Group Level of Analysis focuses on the
behaviours of the individual states, which is often
attributed to the form of government one finds at a
particular time.
Systemic Level of Analysis, the actions of states are
seen as the result of external influences and pressures
on them in relation to their attributes or position in the
world politics.
Idealism
An idealist perspective assumes the best of human
nature: we are essentially cooperative political animals
who are occasionally led astray by evil influences into
war and conflict, and we have a natural affinity toward
the communal as opposed to the individual good.
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Human Nature is essentially good.
Evil is not innate to humanity.
Social progress is possible.
The main problem in international relations in war.
War can be prevented.
International cooperation will promote peace.
Realism
Classic realism, as it has come to be
called, is less generous regarding human
nature. People are generally viewed as
nasty self-serving creatures, and political
power merely corrupts them further.
The Idealist and Realist Perspective Compared
ISSUE
IDEALISM
REALISM
Human Nature
Good; altruistic
Evil; selfish
Central Problem
War and the
establishment of peace
War and security
Key Factors
States and individuals
States
Motives of Factors
Mutual assistance;
collaboration
Power; national interest;
security
Nature of international
politics
Cooperation and
community
Anarchy
Outlook on Future
Optimism
Pessimism; stability
Policy prescriptions and
solutions
Reform the system;
develop institutions
Enhance power; protect
national interests
Structural Realism
The vision of realism focuses on the
systematic level analysis, structure
determine behaviour; the structure of the
international system is anarchic, lacking a
central political authority that can constrain
individual states.
Liberalism
Liberalism suggests people can rationally cooperate in the name of self-interest (since what
is good for what may be good for another as
well), liberals emphasize the importance of
private property, law, free markets, democracy
and justice.
Great importance is placed on economic growth,
both domestically and internationally.
Two popular variants in liberalism are in
circulation today: complex interdependence and
neoliberal instititionalism.
Complex Interdependence
Argues that economic factors are fast becoming as
important as military matters, and that nonstate factors
such as multinational corporations and nongovernmental
organizations play important roles alongside states
Neoliberal Institutionalism
 Often called regimes, sets of principles, norms, rules,
and decision-making procedures around.
 Reduces uncertainty and allows people to get on with
important transnational business such as trade,
investments, or pursuing human rights movements.
 Overall essential argument: is that the anarchism is so
instrumental in a structural realist understanding of
global politics need not prevent states and individuals
from achieving a more harmonious world.
Neomarxism and Dependency Theory
The central assumption behind these perspectives is that
economic classes are the primary units of analysis in
world affairs and hat the economic growth experienced
by the rich Northern world has come at the cost of
others, namely those in poor Southern world.
Feminism
 Primary focus of feminism of inequality and the critique
of the partiachal system that perpetuate it.
 Liberal feminists argue that women’s participation in
world affairs had been too silent or marginalized and that
this situation must be corrected.
 Feminists who are more radical argue this correction
would be insufficient and that deeper changes are
necessary.
Postmodernism
 Primarily concerned with how people interpret the world
around them and they act on understanding.
 Reject the idea that realists, liberals, or Marxists can
ever really know anything concrete about global politics
or built objective about the world.
 Strand of postmodernist: deconstructionists emphasize
the importance of breaking down popular texts or
discourses to understand the power relations they
perpetuate.
Environmentalism
 Advocates reconceptualizing capitalism or redefining
human relations.
 Constructivism stresses the impact of intersubjective
understandings among political actors on constituting
their own ideas.
Chapter 2
History and Global Politics; War
and Peace
History and Global Politics: War
and Peace.
In order to understand wars and attacks
that have occurred throughout history you
must look at the relationship and beliefs of
the participating countries.
 Countries glorifying their actions
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THE ANCIENT LEGACY: THE RISE
AND FALL OF CIVILIZATIONS AND
EMPIRES:
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In history, the less powerful countries or empires
suffered
ASSIMILATION
The rise and fall of empires was dominated by
Europe (referred to as rise of the West)
THE MODERN STATE AND THE
PEACE OF WESTPHALIA:
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Modern International system is called the
Westphalia state system
Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years’
War in Europe in 1648 and brought about the
beginning of the supremacy of the state as a
sovereign territorial actor and the beginning of
the end of the church’s influence in political
European affairs.
2/3 of German population was killed or displaced
during Thirty Year’s War
THE RISE OF THE EUROPEAN
EMPIRES:
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The 17th and 18th centuries in Europe were
about territorial expansion of states
France was most powerful state in Europe in the
mid to late 1600’s but became weakened in the
1800’s due to continual warfare and alliances
that were built against France
Revolts rocked European empires in the late
1800’s, the most significant being the French
revolution (1789-1794)
By 1914 the US became one of the world’s
leading powers
PATTERNS IN THE HISTORY OF
WAR AND PEACE:
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The recurrence of war and conflict between
civilizations, peoples, and empires
The rise and fall of civilizations and empires
The recorded political history is primarily
history of the activities of great civilizations,
empires, and states
The development of an intellectual tradition on
statecraft, drawn from historical experience
The rise of political geography and geopolitics
WORLD WAR I
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Marked by the assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand at Sarajevo on June 28, 1914
Triple Alliance – Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente – Great Britain, France, Russia
Austria delivered ultimatum to Belgrade and then
declared was on July 28, 1914
The state, nationalism, and the Industrial Revolution
combined to create “total war”
When Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles they
agreed to not possess a large army, its’ colonies were
distributed to the victors of the war, pay for all damages,
and assume all guilt for the war
INTERWAR PERIOD
Hitler came to power in Germany and he
rebuilt their army taking over several
colonies/countries
 The great powers of the interwar period
were Germany, Italy and Japan
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WORLD WAR II: TOTAL WAR
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WWII began on September 3, 1939
On April 30, 1945 Hitler committed suicide
May 7, Germany surrendered
Two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan by
the US to try and end the war (Hiroshima on
August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9)
September 2, 1945 Japan surrendered
End of WWII brought about two new powers: the
US and the Soviet Union
HISTORY, ALLIANCES, AND THE
BALANCE OF POWER CONCEPT:
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Military power and alliances are what realist
believe to be the ordering mechanism of
international politics since the ancient world: the
balance of power
Balance of power exists to ensure survival of the
state system and preservation of balance of
power has often required war
Distribution of power is often described by
polarity which describes the number of
independent centers or concentrations of power
in the system.
Continued.
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Multi-polar systems consist of 3-7 independent
poles that are basically equal in power, these
can be regional in scope, or localized
Bipolar systems consist of two centers of power
which can either be two predominant states or
two great rival alliance blocs
Uni-polar system is a single centre of power and
they are often called hegemons.