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Intro to IR Theory

Intro to IR Theory. With William Kim and Friends. State Sovereignty. Says that we should not interfere with the internal affairs of other nations no matter what. Why IR In Debate?. -Resolutions that involve interaction between multiple nations demands an understanding of IR theory.

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Intro to IR Theory

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  1. Intro to IR Theory With William Kim and Friends

  2. State Sovereignty • Says that we should not interfere with the internal affairs of other nations no matter what

  3. Why IR In Debate? -Resolutions that involve interaction between multiple nations demands an understanding of IR theory. -Understanding IR will help you construct a 1AC / 1NC framework to make sense of impacts.

  4. What is IR Theory? -International Relations Theory is a way of explaining why nations interact with one another -Great IR Primer: Joshua Goldstein, International Relations

  5. One View

  6. Contends that the International arena is anarchic • Nations constantly compete and only act in their self-interest • Mostly descriptive not prescriptive • Proponents include John Mearsheiemer and Kenneth Waltz Realism

  7. Realism in IR -Security is of utmost importance.  -State action is centered around self interest. -Concerns over rights, international law, etc. do not affect policy-making except when in self-interest. -States are the primary actors in international relations. -States can form alliances and act cooperatively, but such action is still powered by self-interest. -Some important authors:  John J. Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics Richard K. Ashley, Political Realism & The Human Interests

  8. Says that borders and nationality are arbitrary • All humans have equal worth no matter what country they are from • We should look to Humanity in general rather than individual nation-states Cosmopolitanism

  9. Cosmopolitanism in IR -IR deeply supports respect for human rights and respect for differences across diverse cultures. -NGOs, MNCs and international political bodies (ie the UN) are just as important as nation-states. -The growth of a global economy, coupled with international communication, help power the fundamentals of cosmo. -"Global Citizens" bound together by issues that affect everyone (ie global warming, nuclear weapons possession, etc.) Important Authors: Immanuel Kant, Principles of Politics and Perpetual Peace Kwame Appiah, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers Ulrich Beck, Power in the Global Age

  10. HST - Hegemonic Stability Theory -International politics is stabilized by the presence of a single power greater than all other nations. -The pursuit of power is always a state interest. -A 'hegemon' must be able to 1) be able to enforce rules, 2) have the will to enforce, and 3) be committed to a system seen as beneficial to subservient states Contrasts with Realism: -Security may be endangered by the pursuit of power (war triggering, cost of empire-building, etc). -Cooperation is more important in realism. Important Authors: Terry Boswell and Mike Sweat. "Hegemony, Long Waves, and Major Wars: A Time Series Analysis of Systemic Dynamics Helen Milner: Int'l Political Economy: Beyond Hegemonic Stability

  11. Arguments for and against Heg • Heg good • US spreads freedom and democracy • US keeps the peace • US stops terrorists • US helps global economy • Heg bad • Heg causes great power wars • Heg makes US a target • Heg is unsustainable • US is no longer a Heg • Heg causes proliferation

  12. Democracies don’t go to war with each other • Thus, we should spread democracy Democratic Peace Theory

  13. IR Theories and the Resolution Resolved: When forced to choose, a just government ought to prioritize universal human rights over national interest. Q1: How do we begin to build an understanding of the resolution? Q2: Which IR theories fit with the aff and neg sides?

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