Chapter 1 Outline - Summary World Politics: Interests Interactions Institutions PDF

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Chapter One: What is World Politics? § International relations: seeks to understand how the peoples and countries of the world get along § Some countries fight war against each other, when not fighting spend resources preparing to fight, some live-in peace. Make economic deals selling and buying goods and investing in each other’s economies. § The common threat of environmental degradation creates a need for international cooperation. § Globalization: the dramatic expansion of cross-border flows § By the beginning of the 21st century, more than half of the world’s population lived in democratic countries § Theory: is a logically consistent set of statements that explains a phenomenon of interest. They specify the factors that play a role in causing the events we are trying to understand, and they show how these pieces fit together to make sense of the puzzle. o A theory of war explains why wars happen and identifies the conditions that make war between countries more or less likely. o Theories help us to describe, predict and prescribe. o Provide manageable explanations for complex phenomena. § Probabilistic claim: an argument about the factors that increase or decrease the likelihood that a particular outcome will occur. § Interests: are the goal that actors have, the outcomes they hope to obtain through political action § Interactions: the ways in which 2 or more actors’ choices combine to produce political outcomes o Bargaining: situations in which 2 or more actors try to divide something they both want o Cooperation: occurs when actors have common interests and need to act in a coordinated way to achieve those interests § Institutions: sets of rules, known and shared by the relevant community, that structure political interactions § International level: representatives of states with different interests interact with one another ex. UN or WTO (World Trade Org) § Domestic  level: politicians, bureaucrats, businesses and labor groups and voters (subnational actors) interact within domestic institutions to determine the country’s foreign policy choices

§ Transnational level: groups whose members span borders (terrorists, multinational corporations, transnational advocacy groups) pursue their interests by trying to influence both domestic and international policies. § Realism: states are the dominant actors on the international stage and that the institutional setting of world politics is characterized by anarchy. Bc anarchy, states must live in constant fear of each other. You improve your weapons to protect yourself, your neighbor improves weapons to protect themselves“security dilemma” § Liberalism: accepts many different types of actors as important in world politics, does not require that any one interest dominate all others. Optimistic about the possibilities for cooperation in world politics bc of common interests. Conflict only arises when actors fail to recognize or act on common interests, war is NOT inevitable. § Constructivism: believe international institutions can be effective, even transformative. However they focus on the role of nonmaterial factors such as ideas, culture and norms. “We are all democracies” common identity united states. Social actors pursue what they believe is right based on their conceptions of who they are and how they wish others to view them. 10 January 2019

Chapter One: What Shaped Our World? A Historical Introduction § The Emergence of International Relations: The Mercantilist Era ● By 1700 the world was controlled by western Europeans. Colonial possessions in India, Asia, and Western Hemisphere. ● World politics dominated by European politics. Until 20th century with the rise of militarily and economically independent: U.S.A, Japan, Soviet Union and then China ● Beginning in 1500 rulers in Europe wanted to: ensure their political and military power and access to markets and resources in other parts of the world ● Mercantilism: a system by which imperial governments used military power to enrich themselves and their supporters, then used those riches to enhance their military power. ○ Establishment of monopolies that controlled trade and other economic activities, directing money to coffers. ○ Some monopolies held by the gov’t themselves or granted by gov’t to private businesses e.x Dutch East Indies Company ○ Turn the terms of trade against colony to favor mother country. Ex. require colonies to buy and sell certain goods only from mother country. ● As European powers took control of larger portions of the world, they battled with one another

○ Spanish and Portuguese fought. Spanish won but in late 1560s, Spanish possessions in Netherlands revolted and formed Dutch Republic. ○ British challenged Spain from 1580s onward, defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588. In the Thirty  Years’ War (1618-48) the French, Dutch and allies beat Spain. War ended with the Peace  of Westphalia, created the modern state system because it included a general recognition of the principles of sovereignty and nonintervention. ○ After Spain defeated, English and Dutch started fighting. Then Anglo-French = Seven Years’ War (1756-63) which ended French presence in the New World. British established hegemony (the predominance of one nation over others) after defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo 1815. § The Pax Britannica “British peace” ● 1815-1914 major powers interested in trading and investing worldwide, even with each other. Only use military force to control the people in their colonies. ● Reasons for cooperation among European powers: ○ Common interest in protecting ruling regimes from new political pressures ○ Want of suppressing revolution ○ Interactions stabilized due to British dominance diplomatically, militarily and economically. ● European powers continued to compete for military advantage and influence ● Ottoman empire crumbled and Russia tried to gain Middle East, Crimean War (1853-56) Russia defeated by Europe. Prussia unified German empire, France tried to stop them but defeated in Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) ● British desires for more open trade displaced mercantilist interests ○ Late 18th century British inventors brought technological innovations. Power looms, water and steam power. Textiles and cotton. ○ w/o mercantilism: british manufactures could lower their costs directly by importing cheaper raw materials & cheaper imported food would allow factory owners to pay lower wages w/o reducing standard of living for workers. If foreigners earned more by selling to Britain, they would be able to buy more British goods. ● Opening of world trade encouraged major advances in transportation and communication. ● Gold standard: monetary system that prevailed between 1870-1914 in which countries tied their currencies to gold at a legally fixed price. ○ By 1870s most industrialized nations had adopted the gold standard. Britain had this standard since 1717. The industrial world shared one international currency.

● Europe, U.S., and Japan interested in Latin America, Africa and Asia for security and economic reasons. ○ Wanted resources and markets, military supremacy. ● When mercantilism declined, economic interests in colonies faded. Became burdensome. But in 1870s colonial expansion started anew. ○ Wanted to improve military position, nationalist sentiment ○ Industrialized nations had subjected most of the poor regions of the world to direct colonial control ● 1900: Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires weakening while United States and Japan were becoming serious on the international stage ○ By 1900 germany’s economy larger than Britain’s. Germany wanted colonies too. Looked to land around them which had large German populations. World War I. Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary & Ottoman Empire vs. Allied Powers: Britain, France & Russia ● World War I: long and largely inclusive ○ Trench warfare. U.S. entered 1917 German loss but victors had little to show for success. Took 15 million lives and 7 million civilians. ○ WWI exacerbated political and military tensions in Europe. Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires shattered and Ottoman. Germany lost land. ○ Economic recovery was slow, Germany inflation THE WORST. ○ War bankrupted middle class and grew to be important base for extreme right wing movement ○ War increased power of labor movements and socialist parties. Communist parties in Russia. ○ U.S loaned billions to Allies and provided millions of troops. Treaty of Versailles: peace treaty between Allies and Germany that formally ended WWI 1919 facilitated by Woodrow Wilson ○ U.S became principal source of loans to Allies. Europe dependent on U.S. for financial, commercial and diplomatic leadership. Wilson could not convince Senate to approve League of Nations ● Interwar Instability: french and germans clashed diplomatically over issues left unresolved after war ○ Reparations levied on Germany for starting the war created resentment in Germany. France needed to pay back U.S. said they would reduce demands if U.S. forgave some war debts. U.S. did not want to. ○ Great Depression: brought extreme right-wing, highly nationalistic, often militaristic governments to power. ● World War II

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○ Axis: Germany, Italy & Japan. 1939, Germany attacked Poland then Britain and France declared war. 1949, Germany invaded France and won. Axis controlled all of Europe except Britain and Soviet Union. ○ Allies: Britain, Soviet Union, later U.S. 1941, Germany invaded Soviet Union and in Dec. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor ○ 1945 Germany surrendered. August U.S. bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. ○ 25 million killed. 30 million civilians. 7+ million killed in German genocide. U.S. and Soviet Union only ones left standing after WWII with significant military power = Cold War, communism vs. capitalism France, Britain, Soviet Union and U.S make United Nations and carved Germany into zones of occupation and Europe into spheres of influence. ○ NATO- military alliance-American & Bretton  Woods System: encourage freer movement of goods and capital around the world vs. communist alliance Soviet Union, China and North Korea- Warsaw  Pact U.S and Soviets created atomic and hydrogen bombs Berlin Wall and Cuban missile crisis ○ Soviets blockaded Berlin from western zones. West organized airlifts to drop resources. East germans built a wall after blockade ended. ○ Soviet Union wanted to install nuclear missiles in Cuba to protect pro-Soviet Cuban government and put missiles near U.S. ○ Would dismantle in cuba if missiles in turkey removed. While rich nations were fighting in the WW’s developing world left to fend for themselves, industrial development. After WWII, colonial clamor for greater autonomy and independence increased. Decolonization: process of shedding colonial possessions, especially during the rapid end of the European empires in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean between the 1940s & 60s. American feared colonialism would push independence-minded African and Asians toward communism in search for allies Developing nations had raw materials that industrialized nations wanted, if they could organize themselves they could get more resources from the rich nations. Cold War Thaws ○ France left NATO. China left soviet bloc Age of Globalization ○ 1989 Soviet troops left Afghanistan, Berlin Wall fell and communists loosened grip on governments. 1991 Union dissolved into 15 new non-communist countries. 1973-74 OPEC oil shocks= decade of recession, high unemployment and high inflation ○ 1999 Europe made one common currency, the euro ○ NAFTA w/ Mexico, Canada and US removed economic barriers btw countries

○ Developing countries welcomed international economic involvement ○ China and Vietnam embraced capitalist economic reform early 1980s ● Challenges to the New Order ○ 1990 President Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Kuwait. UN Security Council condemned. Iraq refused to withdraw. American-led coalition began massive air attacks of Iraq and ground assault = Iraq loss. ○ 9/11 Al Qaeda hijacked 4 airplanes. 2 planes hit world trade center, 1 into Pentagon and last in Pennsylvania. 3,000 killed. U.S launched invasion of Afghanistan where Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was. U.S. took over gov’t. Extremists rise up, UN steps in to keep peace. ○ U.S and U.K was upset w/ speed of UN so invaded Iraq 2003 bc upset with gov’t of Saddam Hussein. ■ Continued for years. Started period of turmoil in Middle East. unrest allowed ISIS. ISIS and civil war in Syria drove millions out of Middle East. ● 2008 recession allowed Brexit and election of Trump= hostile to international trade and immigration. ○ Countries more concerned with their own affairs than with global cooperation...