International Relations: Key Concepts and Theories

Posted on Feb 2, 2025 in Spanish and Classical Studies

International Actors: Banks, churches, the Red Cross, international organizations, international governmental organizations, criminal organizations, presidents, political parties, the G7, and experts are entities that shape international relations.

The Collective Good Problem

How to provide something that benefits all members of a group, regardless of individual contributions. Solutions include:

  1. Dominance: Establishing a power hierarchy where those at the top control others, forcing contributions to the common good. This can lead to stability but at the cost of oppression.
  2. Reciprocity: Rewarding behavior that contributes to the group and punishing self-interest. This can facilitate arms control and market access but may lead to retaliatory actions.
  3. Identity: Fostering a sense of community where members care enough about each other to sacrifice their own interests, overcoming the problem.

Related Subjects of International Relations

Economy, law, politics, diplomacy, and history.

Levels of Integration

  1. Free Trade: Trade between members (e.g., NAFTA, Mercosur, ASEAN).
  2. Customs Union: Common external tariff.
  3. Common Market: Factors of production move freely.
  4. Economic Union: Common currency, tax rates, and monetary and fiscal systems.
  5. Political Union: Common government.

Brexit

Hard Brexit: Complete departure from the EU. Soft Brexit: Departure with some continued benefits and relations.

International Relations Perspectives

Neo-realism: Anarchy as the default setting in the international arena. States are driven by self-interest concerning national security, treated as unitary actors, and cooperation is unlikely.

Liberal Institutionalism: Considers socio-economic interests, states are not unitary actors, and cooperation is possible.

Globalization: Four Main Aspects

  1. Internationalization: Increased transactions among states, reflected in flows of investment, capital, and trade.
  2. Technological Revolution: Modern communications have reduced the importance of distance.
  3. Deterritorialization: Diminution of boundaries in how people identify themselves.
  4. Liberalization: Government policies reduce the state’s role in the economy.

Three Waves of Globalization Theory

  1. Hyperglobalism: Globalization is inevitable, irreversible, and inexorable. A global economy is emerging, states are losing control, and individuals can easily move business elsewhere, forcing states to lower taxes.
  2. Skepticism: The role of the state is not eroding. Globalization is a state-directed project supported by capitalist countries.
  3. Transformationalism: Neither states fade away nor is globalization hype. State forms and functions are transformed due to global integration.

Harmonization vs. Unification

Harmonization: A process to reduce divergences between legal systems, aiming for the best solutions and establishing similar aspects to make regulations compatible.

Unification: When rules of the same content are put into two or more legal systems.

Uruguay XXI

Agency responsible for promoting investment, exports, and the country’s image. Aims to be a reference in export promotion, attraction of productive FDI, and international positioning.

Institutions in International Relations

Must have buildings, a physical meeting point, staff, an independent budget, and a treaty with rules and procedures.

Reasons for the League of Nations’ Failure

  1. Not Representative: The US never joined, Germany and the Soviet Union joined and left at their convenience.
  2. No Capacity to Sanction: No enforcement mechanisms for rule violations.
  3. Decision-Making Paralysis: Difficulty in reaching agreements within a large group.

Six Main Bodies of the UN

  1. Security Council
  2. General Assembly
  3. Economic and Social Council
  4. Secretary-General
  5. International Court of Justice
  6. Trusteeship Council

Levels of Analysis

Provide a framework for categorizing influences and explaining international events:

  • Individual Level: Focuses on perceptions, choices, and actions of individuals.
  • Domestic Level: Aggregates of individuals within states and how they influence state actions.
  • Interstate Level: Focuses on interactions between states, considering power positions and interactions like trade.
  • Global Level: Examines international outcomes in terms of global trends and forces that transcend state interactions.

Theories of International Relations

Sets of ideas that explain how the international system works. Two major theories:

Realism

States work only to increase their own power relative to other states. Claims: the world is a dangerous place, a state’s first interest is self-preservation, and moral behavior is risky.

Liberalism

Broad ties among states have made it difficult to define national interest and decreased the usefulness of military power.

Idealism

Rooted in liberalism, it stresses the need for states to pursue moral goals and act ethically in the international arena.