THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: CONCEPT AND NATURE

1
THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM CONCEPT AND NATURE

• POLS 221
• WINTER 2005

2
The Present State System

• THERE ARE A SET OF RULES THAT UNDERLIE THE
  CURRENT STATE SYSTEM
• THE VAST MAJORITY OF CURRENT INTERNATIONAL
  DISPUTES ARE SETTLED BY THESE RULES
• WHILE INTERNATIONAL LAW CONSTANTLY EVOLVES, THESE
  RULES SERVE AS THE BASIS OF INTL. LAW

3
Rules of the Present International System

• ALL STATES ARE SOVEREIGN
• ALL STATES ARE EQUAL (IN
  LEGAL SENSE)
• NEW MEMBERS VIA RECOGNITION
• NEW RULES ONLY BY CONSENT

4
SOVEREIGNTY

• CONCEPT DEVELOPED BY FRENCH PHILOSOPHER JEAN
  BODIN (1576)
• GIVE DEFINITION HERE
• NOTE THAT TERRITORIES, COLONIES AND NON-STATES
  ARE NOT SOVEREIGN

5
EQUALITY

• IN THEORY, ALL STATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
  ARE EQUAL
• THE REALITY IS THERE IS A MALDISTRIBUTION OF
  RESOURCES (ECONOMIC, NATURAL, MILITARY)
• THE RESEARCH EXERCISE SERIES IS INTENDED TO
  HIGHLIGHT THE DISPARITY OF RESOURCES IN THE INTL
  SYSTEM

6
PEACE OF WESTPHALIA

• ENDED 30 YEARS WAR IN 1648
• QUESTIONED PAPAL POWER
• ENDED THE PAPAL STATE
• ORIGINAL STATES OF THE INTL SYSTEM WERE
• FRANCE
• SWITZERLAND
• NETHERLANDS

7
RECOGNITION

• NEW STATES MUST BE RECOGNIZED BY EXISTING STATES
• THIS IS NORMALLY DONE VIA
• -EXCHANGE OF AMBASSADORS
• -TREATIES AND AGREEMENTS
• -MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
  (UNITED NATIONS)

8
RULES VIA CONSENT

• RULES CREATE A COMMONALITY THAT ENABLES
  COOPERATION WHILE AVOIDING CONFLICT
• EXAMPLES INCLUDE
• INTL AVIATION-USE OF COMMON LANGUAGE (ENGLISH)
• DIPLOMACY-USE OF INTL LAW TO PEACEFULLY SETTLE
  DISPUTES

9
CHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN THE INTL SYSTEM

• THERE ARE TWO VIEW OF CHANGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL
  SYSTEM
• SUI GENERIS- HISTORY DOESNT REPEAT ITSELF
  PERSONALITIES AND LEADERSHIP DRIVE CHANGE
• DÉJÀ VU- PARALLELS IN HISTORY CAN BE FOUND
  HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
• WHICH MODEL DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO?

10
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE INTL SYSTEM

• FIVE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
• CLASSICAL
• TRANSITIONAL
• POST WORLD WAR II
• CONTEMPORARY
• NEW WORLD ORDER

11
CLASSICAL PERIOD

• 1648-1789
• BORN OUT OF PEACE OF WESTPHALIA
• BEGINNING OF MODERN STATE SYSTEM
• PRIMARY ACTORS WERE MONARCHIES
• THE INVENTION OF GUNPOWDER INCREASED MILITARY
  CAPABILITIES
• CLASS DISTINCTIONS BEGAN WITH THE ADVENT OF
  CAPITALISM IN 1600s

12
CLASSICAL PERIOD

• SHIFTING ALLIANCES BETWEEN STATES IN ORDER TO
  BALANCE POWER
• THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES WERE
• -NO EXTERNAL INFLUENCE
• -MAINTAIN BALANCE OF POWER
• NOT MUCH INTL COOPERATION
• LITTLE INTL COMMERCE

13
TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

• 1789-1945
• MOVE TOWARDS REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
  (DEMOCRACY)
• AGE OF NATIONALISM (FRENCH REVOLUTION)
• GRADUAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STATES

14
TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

• USE OF CONSCRIPTED ARMIES TO CONQUER OTHERS
• RAMPANT COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM TO OBTAIN
  NATURAL RESOURCES AND LABOR
• SANITARY REVOLUTION
• INCREASED POPULATION
• INCREASED HEALTH
• INCREASED RESOURCES

15
TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

• PERIOD ALSO SAW
• INDUSTRIALIZATION
• URBANIZATION
• GAP BETWEEN INDUSTRIALIZED NON-INDUSTRIALIZED
  STATES
• NEW MILITARY TECHNOLOGY LED TO INCREASED CONFLICT
• INCREASE IN ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN
  STATES

16
TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

• GROWTH IN NON-STATE ACTORS
• THE FIRST INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION WAS THE
• RHINE RIVER COMMISSION
• FOLLOWED BY
• INTERNATIONAL POSTAL UNION (COUNTRIES MUST
  DELIVER EACH OTHERS MAIL)
• FORCED COOPERATION OF FUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS

17
POST WORLD WAR II PERIOD

• 1945-1973
• PERIOD OF DRAMATIC CHANGE
• BREAK UP OF COLONIAL EMPIRES
• LED TO RISE IN NUMBER OF STATES
• BIPOLAR SYSTEM WITH TWO SUPERPOWERS (US, USSR)

18
POST WORLD WAR II PERIOD

• MORE ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCE
• FISSURES IN THE SYSTEM INCLUDED
• -NORTH/SOUTH (DEVELOPED/UNDEVELOPED)
• EAST/WEST (CAPITALISM/COMMUNISM)
• MILITARY AND ECONOMIC ALLIANCES (NATO, F.E.)

19
CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

• 1973-1990
• OIL EMBARGO HIGHLIGHTED DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL
• GAP BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING STATES
  INCREASED
• DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH TIED TO AVAILABILITY OF
  RESOURCES FOR TRADE

20
CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

• IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY AS A SOURCE OF ECONOMIC
  AND MILITARY POWER
• HOWEVER THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT WERE
• -DEMISE OF SOVIET UNION
• -RISE OF NON-STATE ACTORS

21
NEW WORLD ORDER

• 1990-PRESENT
• RISE OF THIRD WORLD (OPEC)
• COOPERATIVE REGIONALISM (EU, NAFTA)
• INCREASED INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN STATES
• RISE OF NON-STATE ACTORS RESORTING TO VIOLENCE
  (TERRORISM)
• IMPORTANCE OF ETHNICITY AS A POLITICAL FORCE AND
  CAUSE OF CONFLICT

22
THE FUTURE

• WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
• CAN WE PREDICT THE FUTURE?
• WILL THERE BE A FUTURE???
• ANY QUESTIONS???