PSC 2440 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: January 30, Nuclear Proliferation, Hard Power
26 Mar 2020
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Document Summary
Security issues can best be understood from the level of the international system. Neorealism is analysis on one level, where classical is multilevel analysis. Classical realists argue that anarchy can be mitigated at least for a while when you have like-minded city states. Key feature differentiating states is their relative power capacity. To an offensive neorealism, states are fearful and distrustful of the intentions of other states. Offensive neorealists don"t believe you can know what foreign leaders are thinking, can"t differentiate between status quo and revisionist states, so you impute malevolence. Greatest threat to states is military power. States are the dominate actors in international affairs. States are rational actors, they are trying to survive as the bottom line. A state"s wealth, population size, and tech capabilities are latent forms of power, which feed into hard power. Power is the means to an end, it is necessary for survival.
