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WORLD POLITICS – Lecture 4
1. THE REALIST STATE
General Agreement Among Realists
• State-prime actor in International Relations• The use of force to adjust relations• Competitive and conflictual character of
international relations• War as the remaining option for the
resolution of conflict• Pessimism about peace
Context of Realism
• Cold war (East / West blocks)• Arms race (nuclear weapons)
• State centric• International relations as inherently competitive• Material factors as opposed to non-material
factors• State-egoistic actors
Realism
Neorealism Postclassical Realism
Both
3 Assumptions Differentiating Neorealism and Postclassical Realism
The most important assumption:
Possibility of conflict (Neorealism) or probability of aggression (Postclassical Realism).
Neorealism1) Possibility of conflict
shapes the actions of States
2) Heavy discount rate. Short-term military preparedness over long term
3) Military vs. economy -- military preparedness
Postclassical Realism1) States’ actions are based
on assessment of probabilities of threats
2) Long-term not subordinate to short term preparedness for military action
3) Military vs. economy – economic trade off if probability of war is low
Possibility vs. Probability
Neorealism• Imminent possibility of conflict• International relations as
brutal• Anarchy-suspicious and hostile
context• With states deciding whether
or not to use force, war may at any time break out in the absence of supreme authority
• Rational state never lets down its guard: states adopt worst-case perspective
Postclassical Realism• Probability of conflict rather
than imminent possibility of conflict
• Lower security pressure
Neorealism
3 principles guiding the worst-case perspective:
1)Costs of war triggering possibility of conflict2)Material capabilities signal potential for
aggression3)Defensive precautions are the only assurance
against aggression
Short-term vs. Long-term
Neorealism• Maximize military security
in short-term due to the potential of immediate aggression
• Maximize short-term security from potential rivals
• High-discount rate
Postclassical Realism• See the world under lower
security pressure lower discount rate No possibility of imminent
war but probability
Trade-off Between Military and Economic Security
Military
Economic
45°
MRS
Military Security vs. Economic Capacity
Neorealism• Military security first before
economic capacity (rationality)
• In case of conflict between military objectives and economic military objectives favored (trade-off)
Postclassical Realism• Power = military preparedness +
economic capacity• Wealth determines power• Power is the ultimate goal of the
state• Seeking power ≠ conquest.
Conquest can increase wealth, but one can also increase wealth by:
1) changing international trade patterns
2) having efficient institutions3) using comparative advantage to
secure raw materials from weaker states
4) reducing non-productive expenditure