Levels of AnalysisIS 1.

Introduction to International Relations

Objective of Introduction to IR course:

◦“[T]o equip students with ANALYTIC TOOLS that will help them understand issues in international relations” (emphasis added)

According to our course outline:

How do we analyze?

◦What do we do when we provide an ANALYSIS?

Question now is:

Think of any contemporary event that can be related to IR. Try to “analyze” the event.

(Take note of the HOW rather than the WHAT in your analysis)

Let us have an activity:

How did you do it?

What did you do in your “analysis”?

International relations is one of the social sciences..

Science is concerned with EXPLANATION

Explanation entails identifying events and their possible causes

Let us see if you did it this way…

Cause Effect Causal variable Outcome variable Independent variable Dependent variable Factor Outcome

Analyzing events in IR

You are interested to find out why some plants achieve better growth than others…

What is the DV? What is the IV?

(IV) Better growth of plants (DV)

Simple example:

When you establish relationship between variables, that is a hypothesis; a causal claim

Example:

Fertilizer (IV) Better growth of plants

Later on, when verified and tested many times, it becomes a THEORY LAW

What is a hypothesis?

Can we use one example?

Example…

What is the DV?

What is the possible IV? – what are the factors?

How about in IR?

Do you think there is only a single factor that could have possibly caused the event to happen?

What are the other factors?

Possibility is, these factors could be categorized into different levels, hence, level of analysis

Question now is…

One way to analyze international events is to use the concept of Levels of Analysis (LoA)

Levels of Analysis◦Refers to the levels of factors that affect IR or levels of

factors that explain events in IR

◦Kenneth Waltz, Man, the State and War◦3 images or levels

How should we analyze IR?

Analytic focus: “structural” characteristics of the international system

Rationales:◦Characteristics of international system matter more to

int’l. outcomes rather than states or decision-makers◦Unless structure of int’l. system changes, states won’t

change their behavior

Third Level (SYSTEMIC Level)

So…

◦what is the main feature of the int’l. system?

◦does it matter? How?

Issue on international cooperation

◦No world government to enforce rules◦No world government to ensure that every state

cooperates

How about the UN?

Prisoner’s Dilemma

C

C

D

D

John

DC>CC>DD

James

-3

-3

0

-5

-5

0

-4

-4

Analytic focus: Internal make-up of states

Rationales:◦States are inherently different◦Domestic politics matter to foreign policy decisions

Second Level (STATE-Level)

So…

◦what is meant by states’ internal make-up?

◦in what ways can it affect foreign policy? interstate relations

Analytic focus: Decision-makers

Rationales:◦Individuals make policy decisions◦Quality of leadership matters◦Cognitive and psychological factors of decision-makers

First Level (INDIVIDUAL Level)

So…

◦how important are cognitive and psychological factors to a policy maker in crafting policies?

◦how do we exactly know if those factors indeed affect foreign policy-making?