8/10/2019 IR Ch.1 Notes

1/6

IR Ch.1

Characteristics of Modern International System

Today, rapid change and globalization dominate our world.

Global interconnectedness shapes our experience (a global village)

Absence of a world authority.

World outlines set by Treaty of Westphalia: 1700s, peace base based on sovereignty and

noninterference.

Sovereingity presents opportunity for conflict or cooperation

Politics today is a push-pull between decentralization and centralization

Decentralization: spreading/distribution of power;

Since 1970s, NSAs have played increasing role (IGOs and others)

What is World Politics?

Politics as the Authoritative Allocation of Values

Laswell: Politics is a power struggle about who gets what, when, and how.

Easton: Politics is the authoritative allocation of values or scarce resources.

Major Actors (the who that determine what and how)

Principal group: 191 sovereign states

Intergovernmental Organizations: UN, EU, NAFTA, etc

Non-State actors: groups of individuals with shared economic, social, religious, or environmental

interests. Include paramilitary, terrorist, business, scientist; a wide range.

Individuals

Interactions among the Actors

Timing: when a state decides to carry out an action

Ability to Carry out Decision:

Struggle for Power (analyzed with realism, liberalism, etc.

Allocating Resources (Political, Economic, and Social & Cultural)

Political resources: power, prestige, status, backed by military power. They are scarce resources.

Economic Resources: financial resourceswealth, income, capital, investment opportunities,

industrial & agricultural production, and natural resources. Also scarce and not distributed

equally.

Most significant are energy resources (struggle for control of oil, water)

Social and Cultural Resources: health, education, clean environment, population in agreement

on values so that diversity adds to power. Also scarce and not distributed equally.

8/10/2019 IR Ch.1 Notes

2/6

An Overview of World Politics:

Throughout history, world politics has been characterized by a struggle for power.

The Struggle for Power in European History

Birth of Modern State System: Treaty of Westphalia (1648): sovereignty, non-interference, work

towards peace.

Balance of Power: no one or two states should grow super powerful; choose allies to ensure

power is evenly distributed. Brought about after Napoleon, WWI saw its demise.

Collective Security: Maintenance of peace and prevention of war through united action of

nations. Initiated post WWI, UN created post WWII.

Terrorism and the Changed Face of the Struggle for Power

Groups/Groups of Individuals with allegiance to no state, but can influence governments with

actions. How do we deal with them? More UN power, one state take the lead, or each statemobilizes police?

Current Political Trends:

push/pull of centralization and decentralization

US frustrated with war on terrorism, Afghans achieve elections in coop with US, who was helped

by UN and NATO

Increasing sectarian volience in Iraq demands cooperation that international community hasnt

provided.

Europe sees UN as authority, US prefers to consider UN deficiencies in calculation of its role.

US advocates economic globalization, Europe/Asia not quite ready yet.

A Peaceful World Order under a Central World Organiation

In Europe, centralization has dominated since Westphalia, culminating in UN and EU.

The Consequences of Centralization

Could lead to world government and globalization of world economy. Some say world

government would solve global problems easier; Others say world government would be too

large for efficiency. Both sides agree UN could be given more authority for binding decisions.

Rise of NSAs and Increasing Decentralizing Tendencies

NSAs form core of decentralizing forces in world today. Terrorist, Religious, Environmental

groups, etc. seek to change social structure and political outcomes.

The Consequences of Decentralization

8/10/2019 IR Ch.1 Notes

3/6

Extreme enddecent of world into chaos; NSAs destroy government.

Ferguson (Harvard): states have lost complete control (today) over means of violence and how

and what individuals communicate with each other.

Others argue its goodit allows groups to have influence that they didnt have before. Recently,

citizens in Philippines overthrew dictator; media can transmit events globally instantaneously.

1.2 Why Study World Politics?

Study of world politics can help relate worlds future to rest of your life, see connection between

international issues and politics of states, and find patterns in complexity of current events.

Relating International Affairs to Your Life

World Politics and International Events

World politics affects every aspect of daily life, need it to understand forces shaping your life

and future.

World Politics and Your Career

Interdependent and transnational character of issues: Enron goes bankrupt, US corporations

follow domino effect in Europe. Asian and Latin American factories receive less orders, have to

fire employees.

Studying World Politics and Developing Analytical Skills

Book covers: building blocks of IR, major issues, theoretical and factual background that can

enable you to answer questions.

Interconnections and Patterns in Politics

World Politics and Comparative Government

World Politics studies interactions between actors; Comparative Government: compare

interactions of state actors within state borders.

In real world, cant completely separate, domestic policy impacts world politics and vice versa.

World Politics and Domestic Politics: Intermestic Issues

Intermestic: used by PS to describe interconnectedness of international and domestic politics. Ex. How does bickering between US executive/legislature affect foreign policy inputs/outputs.

Finding Patterns in the Complexity of Current Events

Principal patterns are centralizing and decentralizing forces at work today.

Centralization can be seen in processes of globalization and global interdependence.

8/10/2019 IR Ch.1 Notes

4/6

Decentralization can be found in ethnic nationalism, terrorism, and immediate citizen access to

information.

Ex. 9/11Terrorists rallied Muslims (decentralization), States rallied around US (centralization).

1.3 What New Forces are shaping The Planet?

Five most significant forces: Information Technology, New Global and Transnational Issues,

Increasing Inability of States to Solve Their Problems, Rise of Ethnic Nationalism and Religious

Fundamentalism, New Citizen Activism.

Information Technology

Since 1980, technology has made distances shorter and increased communication speed.

The Global Village: The Internet and Videotechnology

On 9/11 everyone saw towers on CNN. Since then al Qaeda has used mass media to publicize

goals, views, and killings. Have held attacks all over world. Successful by combing old technology

(bombs, airplanes) with new (rapid communication, instant replay, mass audience).

Information Technology and Global Financial Markets

Technology has allowed individuals to manage own stock transactions. It has created 24hr

virtual stock market.

IT is on one hand a centralizing force integrating global markets, on the other a decentralizing

providing access to information previously unattainable to common man.

Information Technology as a Decentralizing Tool

Terrorist killing immediately seen by public on television. Cause a reaction from public that

influences government reaction.

IT: A Tool for World Centralization or Decentralization?

IT has liberated individuals from dependence on authority for information, thus decentralizing.

IT also can transmit information around the globe, leading to instant global connection, thus

centralizing

The New Global and Transnational Issues

The Global Economy

Transantional corporations can run a business without having a home. It can invest somewhere,

but pull out when the business climate in that country shifts.

Today there is large gap between rich and poor. Global capital responds to global market, acting

at odds with international community to help weak/failed states (think investing in Afghanistan)

8/10/2019 IR Ch.1 Notes

5/6

8/10/2019 IR Ch.1 Notes

6/6

Driving force behind rise of religious fundamentalism has been rise of militant Islam, which aims

to replace existing world with caliphate.

New Citizen Activism

People are frustrated by what they see as apparent failure/weakness of state to pay attention to

their needs.

Citizen Activism and Citizen Empowerment

Efforts of citizens to take power and change politics has increased since 1970s.

In many examples, citizen activism brought changes in government: Iran (Shah), Indonesia,

Georgia/Ukraine

New technology gives individual ability to find & send info, and to communicate with individuals

with similar viewpoints.

Rise of Non-State Actors

NSAs: Non-states acting on international stage

Four Groups: International Paramilitary/Terrorist, Businesses, International media, and

nongovernmental organizations.

NGOs: organizations of citizens with common agenda/ demands for government.

Can be grassroots (local), national, or international

In late 1980s, UN agreed to give legal standing to NGOs registered with them.

New citizen activism can reinforce centralizing tendencies at work through formation of NGOs

that can act at local, national and international levels.

Also can strengthen fragmentation of politics through proliferation of groups with specificagendas.