Power Politics

1
Power Politics

• I. Three Levels of Analysis
• II. Realism, Neo-Realism
• III. The Concept of Power
• IV. Balance of Power
• V. Theory Practice Realism Post-9/11 World
  Order

2
Brief Overview

• Realism focuses on the shifting distribution of
  power among states
• Liberalism only democratic gvts are legitimate
  and politically reliable
• democracies dont fight each other.
• Radicalism Discontent with workings of
  capitalism and dominance relations
• Idealism (social constructivism) changing norms
  of sovereignty, human rights and international
  justice.

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Three Levels of Analysis

• Multiplicity of Actors, influences processes
  within IS
• Complexity of competing explanations theories
• Categorization into different levels of analysis,
  i.e. 3 sets of similar actors or processes for
  possible explanations

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Three Levels of Analysis

• - Individual decision-making
• - Nation-state (and domestic politics)
• - International environment (inter-state)

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Individual level

• From lowest to highest
• Perceptions, choices actions of individuals
  (leaders, thinkers, voters..).
• Study of foreign policy psychological factors in
  decision-making process

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Domestic level

• Domestic, state or societal level aggregation of
  individuals within states that influence state
  actions in international system (interest groups,
  government agencies,..)
• Account for differences in states social,
  economic or political structures

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Interstate level

• International or systemic level the influence of
  the international system upon outcomes
• Interaction of states themselves
• Geographic locations, relative power positions
• Traditionally most important level of analysis

8
Realism (O)

• Reaction to idealism and unrealistic approach
  to IR, i.e. failure of League to prevent WWII
• Intellectual heritage Thucydides (History of
  Peloponnesian War), Sun Tzu (The Art of War),
  Machiavelli (the Prince) Hobbes (Leviathan)

9
Realism (O)

• Sun Tzu (500 BC)
• Thucydides, The Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC)
• The strong do what they have the power to do and
  the weak accept what they have to accept.

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Realism (O)

• Origins 17th c. classical realism
• Hobbes Leviathan
• Founders
• 20th c. classical realism
• Hans Morgenthau, George Kennan, Reinhold Niebuhr
• 20th c. modern realism, structural realism/
  neo-realism
• Kenneth Waltz, John Mearsheimer
• 20th c. rational choice realism (Krasner) and
  neo-classical realism (Zakaria)
• Doers Otto von Bismarck (RealPolitik), Henry
  Kissinger

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Realism (S)

• International relations is the realm of power
  politics
• Realism focuses on shifting distribution of power
  among states
• Security affairs prime
• Economic cooperation relevant if security
  objectives are advanced

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Realism (T)

• Human beings are power-seeking, aggressive and
  fearful
• International affairs is a struggle for power
  among self-interested states
• States exist in an anarchical state like the
  state of war

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Realism (T)

• Weaker states ally to protect themselves from
  stronger ones
• Continuous balance of power (Europe 19th c.)

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Realism (T)

• Anarchy not complete chaos or absence of
  structures and rules but lack of central
  authority to enforce rules
• Prudence in foreign policy is a great value
• Deep pessimism about human nature (Morgenthau)

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Realism, Pragmatism Peace (T)

• Defensive neo-realists war can be avoided
  through prudent diplomacy
• Clear pragmatism about power can bring more
  peaceful world

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Realism (I)

• Counters naïve belief that international
  institutions and law alone can preserve peace
• I.I. are inadequate
• International Law is a tool for powerful states.

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Neo-Realists

• Borrow Morgenthaus ideas about balance of power
  states behavior
• Not human nature but anarchy in the international
  system no authority to protect States
• Only way to provide security is through own
  preparation for war

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II. The Concept of Power

• Morgenthau all politics is a struggle for power
• Tautological uses of power
• As ability to get B to do something that B would
  not otherwise do (R. Dahl, 1957).

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Power Assets Capabilities

• Tangible Capabilities
• Geography, Military, Economic (Realists)
• Intangible
• Moral Authority

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Capabilities Distribution of Power

• Hegemon
• Superpower
• Great power
• Middle Power
• Small power
• Important mobilization of resources

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Sources of PowerStructural Power

• Impact on choices and outcomes by determining
  structure
• Agenda-setting (Bachrach Baratz, 1962)

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Power as a RelationBargaining Power

• Party arithmetic impact on alternatives, add
  issues actors
• Threats, promises and constraints
• Soft Power (J. Nye)
• Coercive Diplomacy (Compellence)
• Deterrence

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BALANCE OF POWER

• What is BoP?
• Distribution of power
• Classical balance of power
• Policy of Balancing

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Balance of Power Stability of International
System

• WW1 Change in the distribution of power as one
  of the causes of war?
• Many actors and uncertainties about their
  commitment to each other
• Assumption major impact on great-power order

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BoP as Distribution of Power

• 3 possibilities
• Multi-polar
• Bi-polar world
• Hegemonic system one power is militarily more
  powerful
• Classical balance of Power historical
  multi-polar systems
• Bandwagoning
• Balancing

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European Alliance System the Hundred Years
Peace (1815-1914)

• Concert of Europe (1815-1822)
• Concert Downgraded (1822-1854)
• Concert Disintegrates (1854-1870)
• Bismarcks BoP (1870-1890)
• Rigid Alliance System (1894-1914)
• Self-adjusting balance, no major war

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III. Challenges to Theory Post-9/11 Order
Realism

• No formal balance of power to counter US power
  (Europeans and armed resistance but no military
  counter-weight)
• Importance of non-state actors transnational
  networks, individuals operating across state
  borders worldwide

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Theory Practice Realism Post-9/11 Order

• Persistence of conflict, centrality of military
  power
• US response to 9/11 attack is in line with its
  power
• Use of power to expand domination, for security,
  economic or other reasons
• US targets are States (Afghanistan, Iraq)
  rogue or failed states?