Marxism

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Marxism

• Social class division is the defining feature of
  capitalist societies and social classes are
  defined by their relationship to the means of
  production
• Since social classes are unequal and exploitive,
  social conflict is inevitable within states
• And the state (govt.) is not neutral it
  protects and advances the interests of the
  dominant economic class
• So state behavior needs to be understood as an
  expression of social class divisions (not
  national interests).
• State relationships are therefore unequal and
  exploitive, creating international conflict.
• Led to other radical ideas like dependency
  theory and world-system theory.

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Feminist Critique

• women mostly excluded from power
  (decision-making) in world politics
• male policymakers downplay importance of global
  injustices to women
• sexism is a pillar of war system
• realism is inattentive to human rights and
  rationalizes aggression
• need increased international cooperation to
  promote peace

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Realism Power Politics

• World politics is a struggle among
  self-interested, sovereign states for power
• Anarchy requires states to practice self-help
• Each state pursues its national interest
• Realpolitik-states should prepare for war in
  order to preserve peace

Anarchy ? self-help ? security dilemma ? pursuit
of power
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Figure 3.1
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I. International Sources of Foreign Policy

• Polarity is the degree to which military and
  economic capabilities are concentrated among the
  major powers in the state system.
• Unipolar systems have one dominant power center.
• Bipolar systems have two centers of power.
• Multipolar systems possess more than two centers
  of power.
• Polarization refers to the degree to which states
  cluster around the powerful.

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Geostrategic Position

• A states location and physical terrain can have
  an important impact on its foreign policy.
• Geopolitics is a school of thought that stresses
  the influence of geographic factors on state
  power and international conduct.

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II. State/Domestic Sources of Foreign Policy

• States abilities to realize their goals vary
  according to their military capabilities.
• The more economically developed a country is, the
  more active it is likely to be in the global
  political economy.
• States types of government also affect their
  international behavior, whether it is a
  constitutional democracy or autocratic rule.

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Organizational Processes

• Bureaucratic organizations define standard
  operating procedures and enhance the states
  ability to cope with changing global
  circumstances.
• Factors affecting bureaucratic rationality
• interagency rivalry
• desire to increase agency power
• fighting among insiders

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Individual Factors Affecting the Capacity to Lead

• situational factors
• political efficacy (self-image)
• amount of information available
• timing of power assumption
• the role of a great leader

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Constraints on Foreign Policy Making

• unitary actorsa problematic assumption
• two-level games international and domestic
• Cognitive dissonance
• procrastination
• satisficing
• rational choice and its imperfect use
• groupthink