IAFF 1005 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Liberal Democracy, International Relations, Hegemony
Document Summary
Problem is distinguishing offense from defense and knowing which one has the advantage at any given time. International system = benign, offers few incentives for aggression. Yet aggression sometimes occurs under structural conditions when it shouldn"t . Motivational realist answer= states vary in type. Divides states into greedy states and security-seekers. Doesn"t try to explain where those motives come from. E. g schweller, deadly imbalances > puzzle: why do some states bandwagon? (ally with the stronger side?) Answer: revisionist states bandwagon, status quo states balance. Explain suboptimal behavior with rest to theories of domestic politics. Answer: domestic coalition logrolling and nationalist myth making. Shift away from preponderance towards equality between the leading two powers foreshadow (hegemonic war) The growth of the power of athens, and the alarm which this inspired in sparta, made war inevitable . States grow at different rates over time. Moves them up (and down) the hierarchy of power. In modern times, industrialization = key factor.
