POLSCI 3Q03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Cuban Missile Crisis
17 Nov 2016
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An expression of how power is distributed within the international system. Terms such as unipolarity, bipolarity and multipolarity. Example of unipolarity: current time, british empire during the colonizing periods, so 16th century. There were other powers as well but british was a lot stronger than the other powers. So generally, that period belongs under multipolarity. Waltz: said unipolar international system did not exist: wrote this during the cold war, so living in bipolar system. Classical realists argue multipolar systems are more likely to be peaceful: different possibilities for grouping. Neo realists think the bipolar system is more peaceful: possibility of miscalculations is lowered as they are keeping their fingers on other states. Nineteen century was generally peaceful, a multipolar system was in place. Realist consider the cold war as a peaceful time. Whether you are a neo realist or not, does not affect your understanding that anarchic system plays a role in behaviour.
