THEORIES OF IR EXAM REVIEWER
1. Definitions:
● Positivism – the theory that certain knowledge can only be acquired from the 5 basic
senses. It also believes that society adheres to certain general rules, laws and
regulations.
o Observation, testing only way to justify claims
o Core beliefs:
▪ Belief in unity of sciences: social sciences built upon the same model as
natural sciences
▪ Distinction b/w facts and values: facts should be studied
▪ Belief in existence of regularities, patterns in social, natural worls
▪ Empirical validation can make difference b/w true and false
o Positivists: observe facts i.e. international events, detect regularities, test
hypotheses, propose generalization
o Sets of genralizations lead to theories
o Positivisits approach in IR: rational choice theory, game theory, network theories,
neorealism, etc.
o LIMITS:
▪ Assumes everything, everybody have pre-existing constant feature (e.g.
leaders always rational)
▪ Generalization of human behavior leads to false results
▪ Natural sciences usually fail to explain social or international phenomena
▪ World changing so fast, impossible to examine it: IR analyses never
constant subject, not possible to follow all chages
▪ Social sciences sometimes fail to predict outcomes – probably not a bad
thing
▪ Theories of IR apply traditional and positivist approaches to prove
assumptions
● Anarchic international system – the assumption that the international system is anarchic
means that there is no ruling power or governing body over the system.
● Balance of power – national security enhanced when military capabilities are distributed
so that no one state is strong enough to dominate all others
o Purposes:
▪ Prevents formation of universal hegemony
, ▪ Preserves particular components of system and the system itself
▪ Ensure mutual security, stability in international system
● Bipolarity – the assumption that the international system is dominated by two major
actors (states), thereby called ‘poles’ because of their gravity of influence on the other
actors
● Hegemonic stability – the theory (HST) that states that designates a hegemonic power
the responsibility of maintaining the world order and keeping in check the other
challenging powers. Also states that the changing of hegemons in the world order leads
the way to a chaotic transition to a brand new world order.
● Balance of threat – states’ alliance behavior determined by the threat they perceive
from other states
● Interdependence – the dependence of two or more states between and among each
other, creating bonds and ties
o 2 important characteristics
▪ political, economic cooperations increases mutual dependence in binary
relations
▪ higher level, frequency of relations = higher level of interdependence
● International society – the community of all actors – domestic, subnational, national,
regional and international that have and can affect other actors
● Multipolarity – the assumption that the international system is dominated by more than
2 major actors (states)
● Permanent 5 (UNSC P5) – China, US, UK, Russia, and France; permanent five members in
the UN Security Council
● Transnational – the act of transcending national borders; being based in one country
with outflows to another
● Unipolarity – the assumption that the international system is dominated by only one
major actor/state
● Arms race – the result of a technological progress and development race between two
or more international actors with the goal of overcoming and overwhelming all other
actors in one or all aspects
● Capitalism – creates uneven economic circumstances, oppression; between exploiters
and exploited
● Feudalism – social hierarchical system depending on one’s riches
● Nation vs. state
o Nation: group of people sharing same feeling of belonging; goup of people who
share a set of characteristics: history, heritage, language, lifestyles, customs, etc.
o State: the legal representative of the nation
● Zero sum game – the assumption that there are winners and losers in a specific
situation; no possibility of compromise or sharing. It’s either you win everything or you
don’t.
1. Definitions:
● Positivism – the theory that certain knowledge can only be acquired from the 5 basic
senses. It also believes that society adheres to certain general rules, laws and
regulations.
o Observation, testing only way to justify claims
o Core beliefs:
▪ Belief in unity of sciences: social sciences built upon the same model as
natural sciences
▪ Distinction b/w facts and values: facts should be studied
▪ Belief in existence of regularities, patterns in social, natural worls
▪ Empirical validation can make difference b/w true and false
o Positivists: observe facts i.e. international events, detect regularities, test
hypotheses, propose generalization
o Sets of genralizations lead to theories
o Positivisits approach in IR: rational choice theory, game theory, network theories,
neorealism, etc.
o LIMITS:
▪ Assumes everything, everybody have pre-existing constant feature (e.g.
leaders always rational)
▪ Generalization of human behavior leads to false results
▪ Natural sciences usually fail to explain social or international phenomena
▪ World changing so fast, impossible to examine it: IR analyses never
constant subject, not possible to follow all chages
▪ Social sciences sometimes fail to predict outcomes – probably not a bad
thing
▪ Theories of IR apply traditional and positivist approaches to prove
assumptions
● Anarchic international system – the assumption that the international system is anarchic
means that there is no ruling power or governing body over the system.
● Balance of power – national security enhanced when military capabilities are distributed
so that no one state is strong enough to dominate all others
o Purposes:
▪ Prevents formation of universal hegemony
, ▪ Preserves particular components of system and the system itself
▪ Ensure mutual security, stability in international system
● Bipolarity – the assumption that the international system is dominated by two major
actors (states), thereby called ‘poles’ because of their gravity of influence on the other
actors
● Hegemonic stability – the theory (HST) that states that designates a hegemonic power
the responsibility of maintaining the world order and keeping in check the other
challenging powers. Also states that the changing of hegemons in the world order leads
the way to a chaotic transition to a brand new world order.
● Balance of threat – states’ alliance behavior determined by the threat they perceive
from other states
● Interdependence – the dependence of two or more states between and among each
other, creating bonds and ties
o 2 important characteristics
▪ political, economic cooperations increases mutual dependence in binary
relations
▪ higher level, frequency of relations = higher level of interdependence
● International society – the community of all actors – domestic, subnational, national,
regional and international that have and can affect other actors
● Multipolarity – the assumption that the international system is dominated by more than
2 major actors (states)
● Permanent 5 (UNSC P5) – China, US, UK, Russia, and France; permanent five members in
the UN Security Council
● Transnational – the act of transcending national borders; being based in one country
with outflows to another
● Unipolarity – the assumption that the international system is dominated by only one
major actor/state
● Arms race – the result of a technological progress and development race between two
or more international actors with the goal of overcoming and overwhelming all other
actors in one or all aspects
● Capitalism – creates uneven economic circumstances, oppression; between exploiters
and exploited
● Feudalism – social hierarchical system depending on one’s riches
● Nation vs. state
o Nation: group of people sharing same feeling of belonging; goup of people who
share a set of characteristics: history, heritage, language, lifestyles, customs, etc.
o State: the legal representative of the nation
● Zero sum game – the assumption that there are winners and losers in a specific
situation; no possibility of compromise or sharing. It’s either you win everything or you
don’t.
