Chapter 2: Theorethical Foundation - Discussion Questions §

1. The core belief/ assumptions of liberalism and the roots of liberalism.

The core belief of liberalism are

• The human nature is good
• The serve and promote cooperation and collaboration
• social progress is possible
• human behaviors is malleable and perfectible through institution, aggression

The root of liberalism are found in

• 17 century Grotian tradition: all international relation were subject to the world. He rejected that states could do whatever they wish.
• 18 century Enlightenment: rest on greek ideas that individuals are reational human beings and have the capacity to improve their conditions by creating a just society.
• 19 century political and economic liberalism: linked heavily towards rationalism and the growing faith in modernization to promote democracy and free trade. Adam Smith believed that free trade would provide interdependencies.
• 20 century wilsonian idealism: place the interest on collective problem solving. they are also strong ADVOCATES OF IL and arbitration ans court to promote cooperation and guarantee peace.

1. How do liberals view international organization?

Liberals view international organization as one of the key actors in international arenas such as contributing to habits of cooperation and serving as arena where states could negotiate, debate, and bargaining to solve common problems. Moreover, the international also serve as the actor to mitigating the danger of war, promoting interaction among states.

9. Briefly explain the core assumption of realism

Human Nature: is selfish, pragmatic, self-reliance

Main Actor: only states and IGO are only tools for IGOs

Cooperation is impossible

International System is Anarchic

Peace: only happens when there’s balance of power between states

10. How do neorealists or structural realists view international cooperation and international organizations?

International Structure: Anarchic, no supreme authority

Focus more on structure rather than on human nature of Classical realists

International cooperation possible, but fragile and not long lasting

States care about relative gain only, not mutual

11. How do rational choice theorists view international cooperation and international organizations?

States will join institutions even if it’s against their interests because of peer pressure or to not be left out.

Small cooperation happen because uncertainty

12. According to the theories of hegemonic stability, how is international cooperation established and maintained?

Hegemonic stability happens from the power of the world leader/hegemon

Britain era of free trade in Europe

US brettonwood international trade system, dollar standard, overseas investment

13. What are the core beliefs of social constructivism? How do social constructivists view international organizations?

14. What are the core assumptions of Marxism or Neo-Marxism? How do they explain the roles of international organizations?

Criticizes the capitalist system, that it’ll eventually lead to a revolution

Capitalist divide people into two groups

• Bourgeoisie: rich capitalists
• Proletariats: poor workers

Bourgeoisie exploits the workers

16. What do theorists of organizational interactions study?

Treats The world’s international organizations as active members of international system

How IOs are effective/ineffective

• Inter-organizational Process

  • Networks
  • Principle-agent interactions

• Intra-Organizational Processes

  • Organizational Culture
  • Organizational adaptation and learning

1. The core belief/ assumptions of liberalism and the roots of liberalism.

The core belief of liberalism are

• The human nature is good
• The serve and promote cooperation and collaboration
• social progress is possible
• human behaviors is malleable and perfectible through institution, aggression

The root of liberalism are found in

• 17th century Grotian tradition: all international relation were subject to the world. He rejected that states could do whatever they wish.
• 18th century Enlightenment: rest on greek ideas that individuals are reational human beings and have the capacity to improve their conditions by creating a just society.
• 19th century political and economic liberalism: linked heavily towards rationalism and the growing faith in modernization to promote democracy and free trade. Adam Smith believed that free trade would provide interdependencies.
• 20th century wilsonian idealism: place the interest on collective problem solving. They are also strong ADVOCATES OF IL and arbitration and court to promote cooperation and guarantee peace.

Core belief: freedom, good human nature (reasoning capability), social progress

IGOs: useful and influential, cooperation forum/arenas, negotiation forum (positive view), prevention/elimination of war, promotion of development

1. How to liberal view international cooperation and power in the international politics?

=> Liberal view that cooperation is possible and will grow over time for 2 reason.

• 1st: international system: context where interaction occur and actor learn from each other
• 2nd: Mutual interest increase with greater interdependence, knowledge, communication and spread of democracy value

=> Power matter but exercised within the framework of rule and institution and make international cooperation possible.

1. How do liberals view international organization?

Liberals view international organization as one of the key actors in international arenas such as contributing to habits of cooperation and serving as arena where states could negotiate, debate, and bargaining to solve common problems. Moreover, the international also serve as the actor to mitigating the danger of war, promoting interaction among states.

1. Core assumptions of realism

• State is the main actors, which means that everything they do is for the sake of national interest. They primarily rely on themselves in the anarchic world.
• In order to survive, they rely on balance of power and deterrence.
• There is no international authority, while the norms and laws are few and ineffective
• Cooperation is not impossible, but there is few incentive for states to international arrangement, but the IGOs have no enforcement power
• NGOs and MNCs have no influence to states’ behavior

2. Neoliberal institutionalism or neoliberalism explain international cooperation as an anarchic world but rational states choose to cooperate with each other with the help of international organization. And international organization role is to help solve problem that one state cannot solve, moderate state behavior, provide guarantee framework for interaction, a context for bargaining provide mechanism for reducing cheating by monitoring behavior, punishing wrong states, and facilitate transparency.

The Prisoner’s Dilemma Two prisoners are interrogated separately for a crime

• If one confess and the other didn’t, the one who confess go free, the silent one takes long sentence
• If both confesses they both get reduced sentences
• If neither confess, they receive short sentences

Without communication, they will both confess, making a bad sentenceWith communication, they will agree to keep quiet to get short sentencesThe self-serving bias of each player will lead to bad outcome for both players.Therefore, states communicating and cooperating, looking for mutual interests is more beneficial in the long term.

States choose continuous interactions with each other because they know they will interact with the same actors in the future.

Compare:

• they both are middle-level theories of liberalism

The international regime is a concept in which principles, norms, rules and decision making procedures are link to one another in a particular issue area. The issue that the international regime are an issue that doesn’t need a formal organization to solve. The international regime is also a governance without government. An example of it is the nuclear weapon proliferation, European Trans boundary Air pollution.