Prof. Murat Arik School of Legal Studies Kaplan University PO420 Global Politics Unit 2 Approaches to World Politics and Analyzing World Politics

Figure 2.1: The Difficulty of Prediction

 As discussed in the previous unit  World politics is the struggle for power  States are sovereign  No supranational authority to regulate international relations  These were the primary characteristics of the international system until the 21 st century What are the approaches to world politics?

 What happened in the 21 st century that changed those dynamics?  Again, in the previous unit, we talked about several forces  High-technology revolution  The globalization of social, economic, and political issues What are the approaches to world politics?

 What happened in the 21 st century that changed those dynamics? (continued)  Inability of one state to solve even domestic problems  The rise of ethnic nationalism and religious extremism  The new citizen activism What are the approaches to world politics?

 Now, the critical question we face is how to make sense of what’s going on around us?  We need a way to synthesize the massive information in a meaningful way to understand, analyze, and develop policy recommendations  We use several paradigms to do that  Paradigms are intellectual framework that includes a sets of assumptions about the nature of human beings What are the approaches to world politics?

 How about theories of international relations?  We use paradigms to derive theories about the natural and social world  Three major paradigms that influence our view on the natural and social world  Realism  Liberalism  Ecological Paradigm What are the approaches to world politics?

RealismIdealism Ecological Paradigm What Are the Tools of Analysis in World Politics?

Realism Human beings imperfect Anarchic struggle War is inevitable Idealism Utopian Human beings are good and perfectable Caring and compassion are innate Human dignity for all Cooperation is possible Ecological Paradigm Human world is a subset of the global ecosystem Resources on the earth are finite Ecosystem’s carrying capacity is important Sustainable development is key What Are the Tools of Analysis in World Politics?

Realism Human beings imperfect Anarchic struggle War is inevitable Idealism Utopian Human beings are good and perfectable Caring and compassion are innate Human dignity for all Cooperation is possible Ecological Paradigm Human world is a subset of the global ecosystem Resources on the earth are finite Ecosystem’s carrying capacity is important Sustainable development is key Realist Theories Political realism Balance of Power Hegemonic Stability Neorealism Offensive Realism Marxism Imperialism Dependency theories Critical Theory Constructivism Feminist Theories Liberalism Democratic Peace Collective Security Regime Theory Neoliberalism Ecological Sustainable Development Theory Deep Ecology Ecofeminism Ecojustice

 Sustainable Development The Ecological Paradigm

Figure 2.2: Pirages’s Five Capitals and Three Pillars of Sustainabilty

 Balance-of-Power Theory  Power attributes  Military and economic  Leadership  Extent of international involvement  Hegemonic Stability  A hegemon is necessary to make the world peaceful Political Realism

 Neorealism  Goal of state is not power but survival  Capabilities of states shape the world order  Unequal distribution of capabilities shape the structure of the system  Offensive Realism  States seek dominance rather than just compete in international relations to maintain their relative positions Political Realism

 Essence of the Marxism is class struggle between haves and have-nots  Imperialism  Movement of domestic capital abroad  Dependency Theories  Center-Periphery Marxism

 Democratic Peace Theory  Democracies do not fight with each other  Collective Security  An attack against one is an attack against all  Regime Theory  Neoliberalism Liberalism

 Sustainable Development Theory  Economic  Environmental  Social (rich-poor)  Deep Ecology  Ecofeminism  Ecojustice Ecological Paradigm

 What is a “subjective approach to world politics”? What Are the Subjective Approaches to World Politics?

 Critical Theory  Individuals losing their autonomy  Constructivism  Identities culturally constructed  Feminist Theories in International Relations What Are the Subjective Approaches to World Politics? (cont’d)

Unit and Levels of Analysis

 Identify the primary characteristics of a state.  Legitimacy  Sovereignty  Formal obligations The State: The Basic Unit of Analysis in the International System

 Definition of a State  Geographic territory with internationally recognized boundaries  Population  Authority structure  The Nation-State and the Multinational State  The Vulnerability of the Modern State  The Interdependence of States The State and Its Primary Characteristics

 Understand what is meant by levels of analysis and who are the primary actors that operate at each level. What Are the Levels of Analysis?

 Grouping the State Actors  Lead State Actors of the International System  Non-state Actors  Relations between Actors in the International System The International System as a Whole

Figure 2.4: A Multipolar System

Figure 2.5: Unipolar World (System Level)

 Analyzing Regional NGOs The Regional Level of Analysis

 Power  Wealth  Power and Prestige  Population The State Level of Analysis

 The Actors and Their Issues  Increased Prominence of the Substate Level  Decentralizing Elements at the Substate Level  Conflict at the Substate Level The Substate Level of Analysis

 The Actors  The Impact of Individuals on World Politics  Political Psychology  The Power of Individual Actors  Ordinary People as Global Actors The Individual Level of Analysis

 Understand how the levels of analysis are used to understand international relations; apply the levels to the case of Afghanistan.  Applying the Levels of Analysis: The Example of Afghanistan  Afghanistan from the Systems Level of Analysis Applying the Levels of Analysis to Understand International Relations