Realism and Foreign Policy

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Realism and Foreign Policy

• January 9, 2014

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Overview

• What is realism?
• The development of realist theories
• Realist analysis of foreign policy
• Using Realism in analysing foreign policy
• Academic vs Foreign Policy Analysis (Hedgehogs
  and Foxes)

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What is realism?

• Realism is based on 3 assumptions about how the
  world works
• Groupism
• Egoism
• Power-centrism

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• So translating that into more familiar concepts
• Groupism gt states
• Egoism gt self-interest
• Power-centrism gt power

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Implications for Foreign Policy

• These assumptions about the world have important
  consequences for international politics which
  leads to an identifiably realist approach to
  foreign policy

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Realist foreign policy

• An orientation towards the most powerful groups
  at any given time
• Scepticism towards the professed aims of foreign
  policy other than the state interest
• Tendency to question the ability of any states
  foreign policy to transcend power politics

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• Tendency to look beyond rhetoric to the power
  realities that realists expect nearly always
  underlie policy
• Look for where the power is, what the group
  interests are, and to the role that power plays
  in reconciling interests

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The development of realist theories

• The first and most general of all realist
  theories, and the one from which most others
  proceed, can be stated simply if human affairs
  are indeed characterized by groupism, egoism, and
  power-centrism, then politics is likely to be
  conflictual unless there is some central
  authority to enforce order.
• When no authority exists that can enforce
  agreements, a condition theorists call anarchy,
  then any state can resort to force to get what it
  wants.

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Realisms sub-schools

• As an academic theory, realism informs the
  analysis of foreign policy. Theoretical
  sub-schools within realism
• classical realism
• neorealism
• defensive realism
• offensive realism
• neoclassical realism

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Implications

• So what would the implications be from taking
  each of these perspectives in foreign policy
  analysis?
• How might the various sub-schools change our
  analysis?

• Sub-schools
• Classical realism
• Neorealism
• Defensive realism
• Offensive realism
• Neoclassical realism

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Specific theories within realism

• Balance of power theory
• Balance of threat theory
• Hegemonic stability theory
• Power transition theory

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Assumptions, conditions and theories

• The challenge for foreign policy analyst how do
  we know which of these sub-schools or particular
  theories applies to a specific foreign policy
  issue?

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Morality and power

• Standards of right and wrong tend to be defined
  by the powerful in ways that further their narrow
  group interest (E.H. Carr)
• US in Serbia (Kosovo)
• Russia in Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia)
• Both US and Russian diplomats use same
• arguments justifying their own actions.

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Using Realism in Analysing Foreign Policy

• Examples that clarify the potential pitfalls of
  realism as a guide to foreign policy
• The Never-Ending Cold War
• Major power war in 1990s Europe
• Anti-US counterbalancing in the 1990s

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Avoiding Pitfalls

• Avoiding inaccurate foreign policy analyses
• Know the theories and the case
• Need careful thought about how the theories
  relate to realisms core assumption and expected
  outcomes i.e. need to know the theory
• Need to know the specifics of the foreign policy
  case at hand

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Hedgehogs and Foxes

• The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog
  knows one big thing. (Archilochus)
• Academic realists can fall into trap of treating
  their theories as universal
• Academic theorists tend to be hedgehogs

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• Idea that for good foreign policy analysis need
  to be able to understand an issue from many
  angles as possible
• Foxes are better at practical tasks like foreign
  policy analysis. They should know theories
  without becoming overly committed to any one