Liberalism Packet: pages102-108
Learning Goal Success Criteria • Students will learn the core aspects of the Democratic Peace Theory and how states have integrated and cooperated re: liberal goals. • Describe the four dimensions of liberalism • Explain how liberal theorists liken states to people • Explain and evaluate the Kantian Peace Th’y • Summarize Neoliberal Theory and contrast it with Dem. Peace Th’y
A Place for Liberalism in IR • Seen as an alternative to realism • UN -> Cold War Power Politics -> New World Order? • NWO according to Liberal Internationalism = founded on universal liberal values such as int’l cooperation, respect for int’l law and org’s. Ex: int’l coalition to expel S Hussein from Kuwait • Hoffman: “international affairs has been the nemesis of liberalism.” Why?
Four-dimensional definition of Liberalism: individualism vs. community • All people are equal and have the same rights • Legislative assemblies are “by, for, and of” the people… and thus must not impinge on people’s rights • Ownership of property is a fundamentally important liberty/right of the people • The most effective method of economic exchange is based on market forces
Liberalism as an IR Theory • States are likened to people: • States have different characteristics. “Identity determines outward orientation.” • All states have natural rights. • Other: non-intervention domestically; extension of ideas internationally – rule of law, purpose of centralized institutions
Liberals – cause of war • War: not due to anarchy • War is caused by other factors: imperialism, failure of balance of power, undemocratic intrastate power structures • Liberal theorists disagree about which is the true cause of war
The Contradiction within Liberalism • Commitment to freedom in economic and social spheres leads to reduction of power in governing institutions. • Commitment to a democratic political culture needed to protect basic freedoms requires strong gov’t and interventionist institutions
Kant – Perpetual Peace • Definitive articles on pg. 104; full essay handed out and on blog • States (like people) can use logic/reason to produce freedom and justice in IR • Federal contract between states to abolish war
Democratic Peace Theory • States that are liberal democracies are less likely to war with each other • Doyle: 2 elements to the Kantian ideal… • Why is war unlikely b/tw liberal states? • Alternative explanations?
Other Liberal Voices re: War • Bentham: int’l law can prevent war; establish a common tribunal • Cobden: free trade creates a more peaceful world via mutual gains • But this overlooks asymmetric gains by hegemons • History contradicts the above premises
Neoliberalism • Status-quo oriented theory • Problem-solving theory • Shares many assumptions as neo-realists re: actors, values, issues and power arrangements • Study a different world than neorealists • Neoliberalism focuses on • Political economy • Cooperation • Institutions • Promote free trade and democracy in foreign policy programs • Rooted in functional integration th’y, complex interdependence th’y and transnational studies
Neoliberalism (cont’d) • N-L institutionalists see institutions as the mediator and the means to achieve cooperation in the international system • Believe that states cooperate to achieve absolute gains and the greatest obstacle to cooperation is “cheating” or non-compliance by other states • Recognize that cooperation is harder when leaders perceive there are no mutual interests • Regimes and institutions help govern a competitive and anarchic system • Regime: “a set of mutual expectations, rules and regulations, plans, organizational energies and financial commitments, which have been accepted by a group of states.” (Ruggie, 1975) • “Prinicples, norms, rules, and decision making procedures” (Keohane)
WWI Lesson: “Constructing Peace” • Peace is not a natural condition, but must be built • Wilson: 14 Points & League of Nations • A disaster • System of Collective Security
The League and Self-determination • Moral and legal problems with self-det.: • Minorities with no feeling of allegiance to the newly created state • How democracy affects constituency and balloting • What if the new state rejects liberal democratic norms
On the League of Nations • “While the moral rhetoric at the creation of the League of Nations was decidedly idealist, in practice states remained imprisoned by self-interest.” • “The collapse of the L. of N. dealt a fatal blow to idealism” (106)
Integration Theory and Pluralism (Neo-Libs) • Transnational cooperation is needed to resolve common problems • Core concept: “ramification” – cooperation in one area would lead to collaboration in others • Not only focused on mutual gains from trade, but also how other transnational actors played a major role in IR now (pluralism) • Huge focus on interdependence • State autonomy was being replaced by interdependence • Criticism by K. Waltz • Less interdep. than predicted
Neo-liberalism • Agreed w/ core assumptions of neorealism • anarchic system, rational approach states are most important • Differ: anarchy does not imply the impossibility of durable patterns of cooperation • Int’l regimes must be created to govern key issue areas • Cooperative agreements would exist when benefits are evenly shared
Neo-liberalism vs. Democratic Peace Th’y • N-Ls say: Scientific approach must be used to build the theory around idealism • N-Ls see a naïve assumption of the DPT: that commerce breeds peace… “Free-trade provides incentives for cooperation, but does not guarantee it.” (107)
