Lecture 27: Tentative Conclusions

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Lecture 27 Tentative Conclusions
1. Levels Of Analysis 2. Interrogating Realism 3.
Constants In The International System 4. Changes
In The International System 5. Goals Of The Course
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Course Summary The Levels Of Analysis
1. SYSTEMIC LEVEL 2. INTERSTATE LEVEL 3.
DOMESTIC, STATE, OR SOCIETAL LEVEL 4.
BUREAUCRATIC LEVEL 5. INDIVIDUAL OR DECISION
MAKING LEVEL
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• Neo-Realism
• Security Dilemma
• Power Transition Theory

• Hegemonic Stability Theory
• Interdependence

Systemic

• Regime Theory

Interstate

• Democratic Peace
• Lenins Imperialism Theory

• Domestic Interest Groups
• Ethnic Conflict

Domestic

• Bureaucratic Politics
• Standard Operating Procedures

Bureaucratic

• Universal Cognitive Biases
• Cognitive Dissonance
• Motivated Bias

Individual
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Interrogating Realism

• Realism versus Liberalism
• Challenging Realist Assumptions And Predictions
• a) Importance of Military Power
• b) Weakness of International Organizations
• c) Irrelevance of Domestic Politics
• d) Unitary Actor Assumption
• e) Rationality Assumption
• Should We Discard Realism?
• Is Institutionalism a Third Alternative?

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Constants In The International System
1. Anarchy 2. Central Role Of The State 3.
Importance Of Nationalism
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Changes In The International System
1. Rise Of The European Union 2. Invention Of
Nuclear Weapons 3. Decline In The Utility Of
Military Force 4. Rise Of International
Regimes 5. Changing States 6. Changing
Individuals 7. Role Of U.S. In World Affairs
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The Future of World Politics

• Is history progressive?
• Can we predict the state behavior?
• Does complexity imply helplessness?

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Goals Of The Course
1. Introduce A Wide Range Of General
Theories 2. Develop Methodological Skills In
Order To Assess Competing Theories 3. Examine
A Wide Range Of Issues In The World Today
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Current Issues
1. Should the U.S. Engage or Contain China? 2.
Should the U.S. Deploy a National Missile
Defense? 3. Is Nuclear Proliferation on the
Indian Subcontinent Dangerous? 4. Is Fair Trade
Good for African Development? 5. Can Ethnic
Conflict in Kosovo Be Halted or Minimized? 6.
Should the Cuban Economic Embargo Be
Maintained? 7. Should the U.S. Risk Conflict with
China Over Human Rights? 8. Does the WTO Destroy
the Environment? 9. Should the U.S. Sell
Destroyers to Taiwan? 10. Will Russia Become a
Democratic-Capitalist State? 11. Should Japan
Participate in U.N. Military Operations? 12. Is
Globalization a Good Thing? 13. Should the U.S.
Negotiate a START III?