Levels of analysisLevels of analysis

International Relations 9/e Goldstein and Pevehouse Pearson Education, Inc. © 2010 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse

CHAPTER ONE

Levels of AnalysisLevels of Analysis• Many actors involved in IR

– Leads to complexity of competing explanations and theories• Response: IR scholars sorted out the influences, actors,

and processes, and categorize them into different levels of analysis– Perspective on IR based on a set of similar actors or processes

that suggests possible explanations to “why” questions– Individual, domestic (state or societal), interstate, global

levels of analysis• Example of applying different levels of analysis

– War in Iraq• No correct level for a given “why” question. • Levels of analysis help suggest multiple explanations

and approaches to consider in trying to explain an event.

© 2010 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse

Table 1.3

© 2010 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse