Week 1

Question 1

What are the four criteria for statehood under the Montevideo Convention?

Answer 1

1. Defined territory
2. Permanent population
3. Effective government
4. Capacity to enter relations with other states

Question 2

What treaty established the modern state system?

Answer 2

Treaty of Westphalia (1648) — introduced sovereignty, legal equality of states, and non-intervention.

Question 3

What is sovereignty?

Answer 3

Supreme authority within a state’s territory, free from external interference.

Question 4

What is anarchy in International Relations?

Answer 4

The absence of a central authority above states — each state must protect itself.

Question 5

What does realism focus on?

Answer 5

Realism says countries act mainly to protect themselves and gain power in an anarchic world
They don’t trust others, so they build up their military and form alliances only when it helps them.

Question 6

What does liberalism emphasize?

Answer 6

Liberalism believes in corporation among states

States aren’t the most important actors (non state actors are important)

Democratic peace theory

International organisations helps create and enforce peace

The believe in positive-sum

Question 7

What is neorealism?

Answer 7

Neorealism is a theory that says countries behave the way they do because the world has no central authority — each country must protect itself, so they compete for power and security.

Question 8

Realism vs Neo realism

Answer 8

• Classical realism blamed war on human greed or aggression.
• Neorealism says it’s the structure (anarchy and distribution of power) that causes conflict.

Question 9

What is neoliberalism?

Answer 9

A theory that believes the effect of an anarchic world can be reduced with the help of international organisation

They believe in economic interdependence

Free markets and government non interference

Regime theory (sets of rules and norms the international community abides by) ensures cooperation and mutual understanding

Question 10

What is Democratic Peace Theory?

Answer 10

A theory that believes institutions help Democracies rarely go to war with each other due to shared norms, transparency, and public accountability

Question 11

What is polarity in IR?

Answer 11

The number of major powers in the system

Question 12

What are the types of polarity?

Answer 12

unipolar, bipolar, or multipolar.

Question 13

What is the social contract theory?

Answer 13

People gave up some freedoms to create a state that protects life and property, based on consent.

Question 14

What makes a theory useful in IR?

Answer 14

helps describe, prescribe, and predict global events and behaviors.

Question 15

Realism vs. Neorealism

Answer 15

Realism (Classical Realism):

• Focuses on human nature as the root of conflict.
• Believes that states act aggressively because humans are inherently selfish, fearful, and power-seeking.
• Thinkers like Thucydides, Machiavelli, and Hobbes argue that war and competition are natural outcomes of human behavior.
• Realists see the international system as anarchic, meaning there’s no overarching authority, and states must rely on themselves for survival.
• Power politics, military strength, and strategic alliances are central to maintaining security and influence.

Neorealism (Structural Realism):

• Shifts the focus from human nature to the structure of the international system.
• Kenneth Waltz argues that it’s the anarchic system — not human nature — that forces states to act in self-interested ways.
• States are seen as rational, unitary actors responding to systemic pressures.
• The distribution of power (unipolar, bipolar, multipolar) determines global stability or conflict.
• Concepts like the security dilemma and balance of power are key: when one state increases its security, others feel threatened and respond in kind.

Question 16

Liberalism vs. Neoliberalism

Answer 16

Liberalism (Classical Liberalism):

• Emphasizes human capacity for cooperation, moral progress, and diplomacy.
• Believes that states and individuals can work together to achieve peace and prosperity.
• Promotes democracy, free trade, and international law as tools for global stability.
• Thinkers like John Locke and Immanuel Kant argue that democratic states are less likely to go to war (democratic peace theory).
• Liberalism sees international relations as a positive-sum game, where all parties can benefit.

Neoliberalism (Neoliberal Institutionalism):

• Builds on liberalism by focusing on how institutions help states cooperate even in an anarchic system.
• Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye argue that international organizations (like the UN, WTO, IMF) reduce uncertainty and promote trust.
• Neoliberalism emphasizes regime theory — shared norms and rules that guide state behavior.
• It also highlights economic interdependence and institutional design as key to peace.
• Unlike realism, neoliberalism believes that absolute gains matter more than relative gains — states care about improving their own position, not just beating others.

Question 17

What is a state?

Answer 17

An organised group that has authority over its territory.

It can make laws

enforce rules

interact with other entities

Question 18

What are REGIMES?

Answer 18

In IR, a regime is a set of rules, norms, and institutions that guide behavior in a specific issue area.

Question 19

What is international law ?

Answer 19

International law is a set of rules and principles that govern relations between states and other international actors, like organizations and individuals.