Week 1 POL 203

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The Globalization of

International Relations

Dr. Elton SkendajInternational Relations 10/e

2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse

CHAPTER ONE


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Core Principles

IR revolves around one key problem:

- How can a groupsuch as two or more nationsserve

its collectiveinterests when doing so requires its members

to forego their individualinterests?- Example: Problem of global warming. Solving it can only

be achieved by many countries acting together.

Collective goods problem

- The problem of how to provide something that benefitsall members of a group regardless of what each member

contributes to it


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Core Principles

In general, collective goods are easier to provide in

small groups than large ones.

- Small group: defection (free riding) is harder to conceal

and has a greater impact on the overall collective good,and it is easier to punish.

Collective-goods problem occurs in all groups and

societies.

- Particularly acute in international affairs

- No central authority such as a world government to

enforce on individual nations the necessary measures to

provide for the common good


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Core Principles

Three basic principles offer possible solutions for this

core problem of getting individuals to cooperate for

the common good without a central authority to

make them do so:- Dominance

- Reciprocity

- Identity


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Dominance

Solves the collective-goods problem by establishing apower hierarchy in which those at the top controlthose below

- Symbolic acts of submission/dominance reinforce

hierarchy.- Hegemon/superpower

The advantage of the dominance solution- Forces members to contribute to the common good

- Minimizes open conflict within the group Disadvantage of the dominance solution

- Stability comes from constant oppression of (andresentment by) lower-ranking members of status hierarchy.

- Conflicts over position can sometimes harm the groups

stability and well-being. 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse

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Reciprocity

Solves the collective-goods problem by rewardingbehavior that contributes to the group and punishingbehavior that pursues self-interest at the cost of thegroup

- Easy to understand and can be enforced without anycentral authority

- Positive and negative reciprocity

- Disadvantage: It can lead to a downward spiral as each

side punishes what it believes to be the negative acts ofthe other.

- Generally people overestimate their own good intentionsand underestimate those of opponents or rivals.


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Identity

Identity principle does not rely on self-interest.

Members of an identity community care about the

interests of others in the community enough to

sacrifice their own interests to benefit others.- Family, extended family, kinship group roots

In IR, identity communities play important roles in

overcoming difficult collective-goods problems.

- Nonstate actors also rely on identity politics.


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Actors and Influences

Principal actors in IR are the worlds governments.

IR scholars traditionally study the decisions and

actions of those governments, in relation to other

governments. Individual actors: Leaders and citizens, bureaucratic

agencies in foreign ministries, multinational

corporations, and terrorist groups


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State Actors

Most important actors in IR are states.

State: A territorial entity controlled by a governmentand inhabited by a population.

- State government exercises sovereignty over its territory.- Recognized as sovereign by other states

- Population forms a civil society; group identity

- Seat of government with a leaderhead of governmentor head of state


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Levels of Analysis

Many actors involved in IR- Leads to complexity of competing explanations andtheories

Response: IR scholars sort out the influences, actors,

and processes, and categorize them into differentlevels of analysis.

- Perspective on IR based on a set of similar actors orprocesses that suggests possible explanations to whyquestions

- Individual, domestic (state or societal), interstate, globallevels of analysis


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Week 1 POL 203

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