Approaches to the Studyof International Relations

Realist Approach to World Politics

Key Actors International system, sovereign states

View of the Power-seeking, selfishIndividual antagonistic

View of the stateSeeks power, unitary actor with adefined national interest

View of the inter- Anarchy, stability thru balance

national system of power system

Belief about Potential for change slow; structural Change change also low

Theorists Thucydides, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Morganthau

Liberal Approach to World Politics

Key Actors States, non governmental groups, international organizations

View of the Basically good, ability to cooperate and Individual compromise

View of the stateNot an autonomous actor, many different interests and actors in the system

View of the inter- Interdependence among actors, national system international society, anarchy

Belief about Probable and desirable processChange

Theorists Montesquieu, Kant, Wilson, Koehane

Marxist Approach to World Politics

Key Actors Social classes, transnational elites, MNC’s

View of the Actions determined by economic classesIndividual

View of the stateState is agent of international capitalistclass

View of the inter- Highly stratified and dominated by

national system international capitalist classes

Belief about Radical change and revolution soughtChange

Theorists Marx, Lenin, Hobson, Wallerstein

Indicators of World Inequality

One‑fifth of the world's population are living in extreme poverty.

70 per cent of the world's poor and two‑thirds of the world's illiterates are women.

One‑third of the world's children are undernourished.

Half the world's population lacks regular access to the most essential drugs.

100 million children live or work on the street

In 1998 the 4 least developed countries attracted less than $US3 billion in direct foreign investment, 0.4 per cent of the global total.

The combined wealth of the world's 200 richest people reached $US 1 trillion in 1999; the combined income of 582 million people a living in the 43 least developed counties is $US 1.46 billion

More than 30,000 children die a day from easily preventable diseases.

Since 1980 more than $US 1.3 trillion has been transferred from less developed countries to more developed countries in debt interest payments, yet a size of total debt has not decreased.

Each year the developing world pays the West nine times more in debt repayments than it receives in aid.

In 1996 Comic Relief in the UK raised an estimated 26 million in the world's biggest telethon. This is roughly what Africa pays out in debt in one day.

To achieve universal provision of basic services in developing countries would cost $80 billion/ year.

(Sources: World Health Organization, United Nations,World Bank, Jubilee 2000