Operační program Vzdělávání pro konkurenceschopnost Název projektu: Inovace magisterského studijního programu Fakulty ekonomiky a managementu Registrační číslo projektu: CZ.1.07/2.2.00/ Security and Defence Policy of the State Behavioural models and approaches to national security

Aim of the presentation To outline the state´s approaches to its security To explain some of relevant terms (balance of power, security dilemma, etc.) To introduce selected methods and models used for explaining of the specific behaviour of subjects of international relations

Balance of power At the core of the balance of power theory is the idea that national security is enhanced when military capabilities are distributed so that no one state is strong enough to dominate all others If one state gains inordinate power, the theory predicts that it will take advantage of its strength and attack weaker neighbors thereby providing an incentive for those threatened to unite in a defensive coalition Some realists maintain that this would be more stable as aggression would appear unattractive and would be averted if there was equilibrium of power between the rival coalitions

Balance of power When confronted by a significant external threat, states may balance or bandwagon. Balancing is defined as allying with others against the prevailing threat, whereas bandwagoning refers to alignment with the source of danger States may also employ other alliance tactics, such as buck-passing and chain-ganging. There is a longstanding debate among realists with regard to how the polarity of a system impacts on which tactic states use, however, it is generally agreed that balancing is more efficient in bipolar systems as each great power has no choice but to directly confront the other Along with inter-realist debates about the prevalence of balancing in alliance patterns, other schools of international relations, such as constructivists, are also critical of the balance of power theory, disputing core realist assumptions regarding the international system and the behavior of states

Strategis of the state The state is committed to the maximum protection of vital national interests by strengthening its position in the system of international relations. It uses usually two ways: Alliance behavior (lies in the elimination of political opponents, and their transformation into an allies - sharing capabilities) Strengthening the own power potential (use of available resources, etc. - the question of willingness to exploit these resources - guns vs. butter, indifference curve) Alliance behavior is a rational choice of actors in the system who have no chance to succeed independently in competition with more powerful opponents Strengthening of power potential (ability to defend and promote the national interests) may paradoxically lead to the emergence of so-called security dilemma

Security dilemma The security dilemma, also referred to as the spiral model, is a term used in international relations and refers to a situation in which actions by a state intended to heighten its security, such as increasing its military strength or making alliances, can lead other states to respond with similar measures, producing increased tensions that create conflict, even when no side really desires it John Herz: "Security dilemma is a structural notion in which the self-help attempts of states to look after their security needs tend, regardless of intention, to lead to rising insecurity for others as each interprets its own measures as defensive and measures of others as potentially threatening."

Security dilemma A frequently cited example of the security dilemma is the beginning of World War I. Supporters of this viewpoint argue that the major European powers felt forced to go to war by feelings of insecurity over the alliances of their neighbors, despite not actually desiring the war. Furthermore, Germany's fear of fighting war on two fronts led it to the formulation of the infamous Schlieffen Plan, which specified a particularly accelerated mobilization timetable. The onset of German mobilization, in turn, put pressure on other states to start mobilizing early as well. However, other scholars dispute this interpretation of the origins of the war, contending that some of the states involved really did want the conflict The security dilemma is a popular concept with cognitive and international relations theorists, who regard war as essentially arising from failures of communication. Functionalist theorists affirm that the key to avoiding war is the avoidance of miscommunication through proper signaling

Behavioural models To explore and describe patterns and behaviour in (international) politics we can use a variety of tools and methods - very often is used so-called game theory Game theory is a study of strategic decision making. Specifically, it is "the study of mathematical models of conflict and cooperation between intelligent rational decision-makers" An alternative term suggested "as a more descriptive name for the discipline" is interactive decision theory Game theory is mainly used in economics, political science, and psychology, as well as logic and biology The subject first addressed zero-sum games, such that one person's gains exactly equal net losses of the other participants

Prisoner´s dilemma The prisoners' dilemma is a canonical example of a game analysed in game theory that shows why two individuals might not cooperate, even if it appears that it is in their best interests to do so The prisoner's dilemma game can be used as a model for many real world situations involving cooperative behaviour In casual usage, the label "prisoner's dilemma" may be applied to situations not strictly matching the formal criteria of the classic or iterative games: for instance, those in which two entities could gain important benefits from cooperating or suffer from the failure to do so, but find it merely difficult or expensive, not necessarily impossible, to coordinate their activities to achieve cooperation

Game of chicken The game of chicken is an influential model of conflict for two players in game theory The principle of the game is that while each player prefers not to yield to the other, the worst possible outcome occurs when both players do not yield The name "chicken" has its origins in a game in which two drivers drive towards each other on a collision course: one must swerve, or both may die in the crash, but if one driver swerves and the other does not, the one who swerved will be called a "chicken," meaning a coward; this terminology is most prevalent in political science and economics The game has been used to describe the mutual assured destruction of nuclear warfare, especially the sort of brinkmanship involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis

Game of chicken

Operační program Vzdělávání pro konkurenceschopnost Název projektu: Inovace magisterského studijního programu Fakulty ekonomiky a managementu Registrační číslo projektu: CZ.1.07/2.2.00/ Security and Defence Policy of the State Behavioural models and approaches to national security