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TRANSCRIPT
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The Globalization of
International Relations
Dr. Elton SkendajInternational Relations 10/e
2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse
CHAPTER ONE
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Core Principles
IR revolves around one key problem:
- How can a groupsuch as two or more nationsserve
its collectiveinterests when doing so requires its members
to forego their individualinterests?- Example: Problem of global warming. Solving it can only
be achieved by many countries acting together.
Collective goods problem
- The problem of how to provide something that benefitsall members of a group regardless of what each member
contributes to it
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Core Principles
In general, collective goods are easier to provide in
small groups than large ones.
- Small group: defection (free riding) is harder to conceal
and has a greater impact on the overall collective good,and it is easier to punish.
Collective-goods problem occurs in all groups and
societies.
- Particularly acute in international affairs
- No central authority such as a world government to
enforce on individual nations the necessary measures to
provide for the common good
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Core Principles
Three basic principles offer possible solutions for this
core problem of getting individuals to cooperate for
the common good without a central authority to
make them do so:- Dominance
- Reciprocity
- Identity
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Dominance
Solves the collective-goods problem by establishing apower hierarchy in which those at the top controlthose below
- Symbolic acts of submission/dominance reinforce
hierarchy.- Hegemon/superpower
The advantage of the dominance solution- Forces members to contribute to the common good
- Minimizes open conflict within the group Disadvantage of the dominance solution
- Stability comes from constant oppression of (andresentment by) lower-ranking members of status hierarchy.
- Conflicts over position can sometimes harm the groups
stability and well-being. 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse
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Reciprocity
Solves the collective-goods problem by rewardingbehavior that contributes to the group and punishingbehavior that pursues self-interest at the cost of thegroup
- Easy to understand and can be enforced without anycentral authority
- Positive and negative reciprocity
- Disadvantage: It can lead to a downward spiral as each
side punishes what it believes to be the negative acts ofthe other.
- Generally people overestimate their own good intentionsand underestimate those of opponents or rivals.
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Identity
Identity principle does not rely on self-interest.
Members of an identity community care about the
interests of others in the community enough to
sacrifice their own interests to benefit others.- Family, extended family, kinship group roots
In IR, identity communities play important roles in
overcoming difficult collective-goods problems.
- Nonstate actors also rely on identity politics.
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Actors and Influences
Principal actors in IR are the worlds governments.
IR scholars traditionally study the decisions and
actions of those governments, in relation to other
governments. Individual actors: Leaders and citizens, bureaucratic
agencies in foreign ministries, multinational
corporations, and terrorist groups
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State Actors
Most important actors in IR are states.
State: A territorial entity controlled by a governmentand inhabited by a population.
- State government exercises sovereignty over its territory.- Recognized as sovereign by other states
- Population forms a civil society; group identity
- Seat of government with a leaderhead of governmentor head of state
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Levels of Analysis
Many actors involved in IR- Leads to complexity of competing explanations andtheories
Response: IR scholars sort out the influences, actors,
and processes, and categorize them into differentlevels of analysis.
- Perspective on IR based on a set of similar actors orprocesses that suggests possible explanations to whyquestions
- Individual, domestic (state or societal), interstate, globallevels of analysis
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