Post on 23-Dec-2015
Topics for today Events of the day/week
Kenyan parties agree on peace deal Catching up with readings/PowerPoints
World War II Cold War Comparing The League and the United Nations
After the Cold War, 1991-
States, sovereignty, and power
What is a “state”? What is “sovereignty”?
What is a state?
Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States (1933)
State: a legal entity in international law with a permanent population with a defined territory with a government capable of effective
domestic control and international representation/recognition
Authority and Territoriality
The authority of a state is limited by physical borders, not by associational or other criteria.
State authority is based on the claim to sovereignty, or the absence of any higher authority.
International law recognizes states both on the basis of legitimacy and violence. A viable state is capable of resisting outside/domestic attacks and elicit a minimum of international and domestic recognition.
What is sovereignty?
Sovereignty: No superior authority. Control over domestic affairs Control over cross-border movements Exclusive representation in international
politics
Sovereignty as control
Effective domestic monopoly of violence. Government controls domestic affairs.
How do states loose control? Voluntarily: enter treaties with other states or
create inter- and supranational institutions (“pooling of sovereignty”).
Involuntarily: Military invasion, economic sanctions, diplomatic threats, smugglers, cross-border pollution.
United Nations Membership, 1945-2007
51
76
117
144159
185 189 192
0
50
100
150
200
250
1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2001 2006
UN membership
UN membership expanded
Recent new member states
2006 (192): Montenegro (192)
2002 (191): Switzerland, Timor-Leste
.
.1992 (179):
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Summary: the state
A state is a legal entity with a defined territory, population, and government (monopoly of violence).
States are de jure sovereign: controlling borders (1), domestic autonomy (2), and international representation (3).
Summary: the state system
States and their supporting ideology of nationalism are a recent phenomenon in human history.
The state system emerged mostly by means of brutal internal and external violence.
States emerged in response to changes in military technology (economies of scale) as well as shifts from religious to political/ nationalist allegiances.
League of Nations
Principle of unanimity (Art. 5) Council and Assembly have the same
responsibilities and rights (Art. 2-4) Peace at a collective good.
An attack against any member is an attack against all members.
RULES: arbitration and settlement Economic sanctions as a new tool (Art. 16)
League of Nations and the United Nations
US absence Lack of enforcement Council and GA are
equals No human rights
promotion No participation of
the Global South
US presence Chapter VII Security Council
has more powers Human rights an
explicit goal of UN Decolonization
expanded membership
Failure of the League of Nations
Realism Institutionalism Idealism/Identity
Internationallevel
Because collective security simply can not work
Because states did not fully commit to the idea of collective security; faulty design of the League
Because the League did not address cultural/identity differences
Domestic level Because the League brought together incompatible regime types; unanimity rule
What caused World War II?
Realism Institutionalism Idealism/Identity
International
level
Balance of power is unstable; continuation of WWI; Versailles
Weakness of institutions; US refusal to support the League of Nations
Expanding nationalisms
Domestic level
Democracy vs. fascism; threat of economic collapse in Germany
Bolshevism/
Racism
Individual
level
Classical realism: Human nature
Humiliation of German nationalism
After the Cold War
Persian Gulf War (1991) Failed states
Break-up of Yugoslavia (1991-1994) Somalia (1993)
Rwandan genocide (1994) Anti-landmines treaty (1997) Middle East conflict (second intifada, 2001) Global terrorism (9/11) Iraq war (2003) Expansion of the European Union to 27 members
What caused global terrorism ?
Realism Institutionalism Idealism/Identity
International
level
Counterbalancing in a unipolar world; natural challenge to US hegemony; asymmetric warfare
Weak global institutions: failure to resolve Middle East conflict; insufficient inter-state cooperation on law enforcement
Radical Islam vs. democracy; lack of cultural understanding across religious lines
Domestic level
Re-assertion of authoritarian rule after 1995
Failure to integrate Muslim minorities in Europe and the U.S.; Islamic forces dominate Muslim nations
Answering terrorism
Realism: a case of asymmetric warfare Solution: military defeat and repression
Liberal Institutionalism: a criminal activity Solution: Democracy/trade and intensified inter-
state cooperation on law enforcement; transform Muslims through wealth into secularists
Identity/constructivism: a challenge to Western cultural imperialism Solution: better integration of Muslim immigrants;
appeals to moderate Muslims; creation of common cultural platforms; accept difference and promote cultural diversity