Common actors in the international
stage.
ONG’s
OIG's
CMN
Estados
International Politics
Perspectives
Traditional Vision Alternative Vision
• National societies • Global society
• National interests • Mutual interests
• Competition • Cooperation
• Protectionism • Colective security
• Self-help • Mutual help
• Sovereign States • International
• Remaining in power organizations
• International Law
Why should I be interested in
international politics?
General culture
• Don’t be ignorant!
Finances
• Repercutions “butterfly effect”: whatever
happens in the past or in another place in the
world can impact us directly.
‣ Employment, debt, security, money
exchange rates, etc…
Environment
• We all live under the same sky
‣ Climate change/global warming/natural disasters
Health
• Transnational illnesses and medical discoveries.
‣ Mortal viruses or vaccines that save millions of lives.
Why should I be interested in
international politics?
My surroundings
• Regional conflicts could interfere in the local community
‣ Threats, political violence, war.
‣ Terrorism committed by foreign agents…
Trampoline for political activism
• Be involved with big actors
‣ Get out to the streets! Manifest! Wake up and do something for
your own good!
Democratic participation
• Your vote could have positive or negative repercussions
‣ Foreign politics are managed by those we vote for public office
‣ Technically you can become a candidate for one of this
positions
Realism
• Classic realism
• Neo-realism
Liberalism
• Classic liberalism
Main Theories of • Neo-liberalism
international
relations
Constructivism
• Agents + structures
Contemporary theories
• Post-modernism
• Feminism
• Economic structuralism
Realism
Main points
• Life in general and political activities are involved in the neverending
fight for power and domination
• “Win-Lose” “All or nothing” : An actor wins and the other looses
‣ Sun Tzu, The art of war
‣ Tucídides, The history of the War of the Peloponnesus
‣ Otto von Bismarck (Prusia).
‣ Hans Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations.
Realism
Classic Neo-realism (modern)
• Human beings are violent • The fight for power is the
by nature. center of everything, but
• Pessimistic regarding not because of human
behavior/facts nature, but because we
• Tendency to dominate or live in an international
control others “anarchic” system.
‣ Thomas Hobes, The • No superior authority.
Leviathan. • Survival is everything.
‣ Hans Morgenthau, ‣ Fareed Zakaria.
Politics Among Nations.
Liberalism
Classic Neo-liberalism (modern)
• Humanity benefits from • The System is not really
living in community. “anarchic”. Complex
• Cooperation instead of interdependence.
competition. • Commerce promotes
• Altruism. colaboration and
‣ Jean-Jacques strenghtens diplomatic
Rousseau, Du Contrat relationships.
Social. ‣ Milton Freedman,
‣ Woodrow Wilson. Homo Economicus.
Realism Liberalism (idealism)
• Traditional • Alternative
• Self-interested States • Cooperative-globalist
• Anarchy in the international approach
system • Community in the
• Nationalist/conservative international system
• Pessimists about human • Internationalist/liberal
nature (selfish) • Optimists about human
• Power nature (altruistic)
• Competitive future among • Justice
Sovereign States • Cooperative future through
• Realpolitik: Secure your international organizations.
country’s interest first. • Classic idealism: don’t
surrender Independence.
Constructivism
• The way you in which you see the world, is
the way in which that same image is built in
your own mind.
• Right now, there are people who accept to
live in States and pay taxes: therefore, they
accept the reality.
‣ The case of the Soviet Union: first it built
its reality in the minds of their subjects,
and then they had to erase it after its
collapse in 1991: new nationalities rise.
• Analyzes the whole context of a situation.
• If there’s a change in the social values, there
can be a transformation in the global order.
Contemporary
theories
Feminism Economic Structuralism
• If women were in charge, • Everything is centered on
there’d be no wars. commerce and economic
• Politics are excessively development. Pure gain.
male.
‣ Betty Reardon, Women
& Peace.
Postmodernism
• Same as constructivism:
reality = mental state.
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Individual Level 1
HUMAN FACTOR
• Knowledge factors
(external limitations vs. internal)
‣ Search for cognitive consistency: information that
“matches” perceptions.
1 ‣ Fantastic thinking: self-convincement.
‣ Employment of heuristic mechanisms:
stereotupes and analogies.
• Emotional factors: feelings (rage, hate, depression)
• Psychological factors: the passive-agressive theory
(frustration proyection).
Individual level 1
• Biological factors:
‣ Etology: animal and human behavior. Territoril,
fierce competition.
‣ Gender/sex: substancial differences between men
and women with regards to strategic thinking
and decision making.
1 • Perception: how do we see others
‣ Exagerated vision of competition/rivalry.
‣ We feel less prepared than the enemy.
‣ Inability to comprehend why other people don’t
like us…
‣ “Mirror-perception:” points of view are usually
similar.
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Individual level 1
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
2 • Expected role
‣ Self expectations vs external expectations
• “Group thinking:” intimate circle of counselors
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Individual Level 1
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS (IDIOSINCRACY ANALYSIS)
• Personality: scales on active-pasive, and positive-
negative.
‣ Kennedy/Clinton vs. Nixon/Johnson
• Physical and mental health
‣ Deformities or congenital defects, substance
3 abuse, addictions, etc.
• Ambition and ego
• Political history and personal experiences
• Perceptions and operational reality
‣ Correct and wrongful perceptions
‣ Operational code (how does a leader see the
world surrounding them).
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Individual level 1
LOGICAL AND IRRATIONAL FACTORS
• Poli-heuristic theory: the elimination of
unacceptable options first, then the análisis of
4 strategic decisions (functional thinking, cold
thinking). Diminish risks and increase posible
benefits…
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
State Level 2
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT, SITUATION AND POLITICS
• Democratic States vs Authoritarian States: Margin
for decisión making.
• Type of situation:
‣ Crisis: surprise, threatening scenarios, brief time
to react/act.
1 ‣ Normality: “support for the leader,” acceptance
of the head of the Executive power by the
population.
• Type of politics
‣ Nature of the topic could have no impact.
‣ Intermestic Politic or global-national: the
immediate effect inside of the country.
“Fastrack” authority or express…
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
National Level 2
POLITICAL CULTURE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS ACTORS
• Representatives of governments / Executive heads:
usually Presidents or Prime Ministers.
‣ Formal Powers: Those conceded by a legal
2 foundation or the Constitution.
‣ Informal Powers: leadership, Prestige and image.
‣ Capabilities: Legislative abilities and/or
administrative, political persuation, intelligence,
confort in the national and global arena.
National Level 2
POLITICAL CULTURE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS ACTORS
• Bureaucracies
‣ Filtered information.
‣ Recommendations (reports from Congress)
‣ Implementation (research made by Congress,
coordination between agencies or State
2
departments).
• Legislatures
‣ Simulated legislative power vs strong Legislative
Branch: maintain the balance in power.
‣ Representatives and senators normally focus on
internal affairs: they owe their job to the local
populations.
National level 2
POLITICAL CULTURE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS ACTORS
• Groups of interest
‣ Cultural circles: people who gather with a
general goal, regarding immigration or religious.
2 ‣ Economic asociations: the big industry and its
commercial interests, labour unions.
‣ Groups oriented by specific topics: ideological,
human rights, environment.
‣ Multinational interest circles: come from abroad.
• Normal citizens: public opinion.
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Systematic level 3
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Organization of authority
1 ‣ Vertical vs horizontal: the current system is
considered anarchic.
• Level, Depth and intensity of interactions.
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Sytematic level 3
POWER RELATIONS
2 • Number of powerful actors: polarity of the
international system.
• Context of power.
Unipolar
• A single dominant country
‣ Unlimited power and unrivaled
Bipolar
• Two great powers
Polarity of the ‣ Little space for neutrality
system
Tripolar
• Changing aliances
‣ Unstable
Multipolar
• Multiple actors/States
‣ Unpredictable, but balanced
Individual level 1
• Human factor
• Organizational behaviour
• Personal characteristics.
• Logical and irrational factors.
Levels of analysis
of International
relations State Level 2
• Type of government, situation and
politics.
• Political culture, and foreign policy
actors.
Systematic level 3
• Structural characteristics.
• Power relationships.
• Economic realities.
• Rules.
Systematic level 3
ECONOMIC REALITIES
• Current economic and financial situation of any
country: money = power.
3
• Interdependency
‣ China’s ascent
‣ Hydrocarbons: intervention in Iraq and Libya.
RULES
• Proper and tolerated conduct in the international
4 stage.
‣ Nuclear weapons and military ocupation.
‣ Tolerance on the loss of life in war.
