CHAPTER 1 Understanding International Relations INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Seventh Edition Joshua S. Goldstein Pearson Education, Inc. © 2006

College Students and International Relations Voting in an election Working on a campaign or for an interest group Buying a product or service traded on world markets (check where your clothes are made) Watching the news

Different Theoretical Perspectives “Each is a lens through which the world looks different and different things seem important,” (pg. 8) Choosing concepts to emphasize leads to different conclusions

Conservative, Liberal, and Revolutionary World Views

The Actors on the World Stage The State: A territorial entity controlled by a government and inhabited by a population—no higher authority Non-State Actors: Many examples, from multi-national corporations to international organizations, such as the United Nations

Levels of Analysis Individual Level Domestic Level Interstate Level Global Level

Levels of Analysis

Different Regions The North-South Gap and Nine Regions The North: (1) North America, (2) Western Europe, (3) Japan/Pacific, and (4) Russia and Eastern Europe The South: The rest of the world, including (5) China, (6) the Middle East, (7) Latin America, (8) South Asia, and (9) Africa

Nine Regions of the World

Comparisons Illuminate Data What data should be used? Commonly, the Gross Domestic Product is used to measure an economy’s strength GDP is the total annual economic activity of a country Also, per capita income or average income is used to compare a country’s wealth

Comparison of World Regions, 2003

The Most Fundamental Lesson Knowing the location of each country Identifying a country’s location will tell a great deal about a country Study a country’s geography, such as its relation to the equator, its neighbors, its access to water, and its size to begin an analysis of a country

World States and Territories

States and Territories with Estimated Total 2003 GDP

States and Territories with Estimated Total 2003 GDP (cont.)

To Understand Today, We Must Examine History Examining history offers an explanation for current relations among countries and inequalities Western Europe expands and rises to world dominance

World Civilizations, 1000-2000

The Rise of Western Europe 1492, Columbus sails the ocean blue An examination of Western Europe’s rise is very instructive in learning about the world in which we live today

The Modern International System 1618-1648, Thirty Years’ War and the Treaty of Westphalia 1803-1815, Napoleonic Wars 1914-1918, World War I 1939-1945, World War II 1945-1990, The Cold War

The Great-Power Systems, 1500-2000

Imperialism, 1500-2000

The World Economy,1750-2000

The Rise and Fall of Western Europe Although many Western European countries controlled distant parts of the world, competition would lead to destruction The United States and the Soviet Union would be left to define the international system after World War II

The Two World Wars,1900-1950

The Cold War The Soviet Union v. the United States U.S. policy: Containment Limited Warfare: The Korean War, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and other proxy wars Nuclear weapons lead to summit meetings between countries The collapse of the Soviet Union

The Cold War, 1945-1990

1990-2005, The Post-Cold War Era New Relationships Gulf War NATO Bosnia-Herzegovina Somalia September 11, 2001 Terrorism The Rise of China