POLI 244 Study Guide - September 11 Attacks
12 Dec 2012
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Document Summary
None of the three theories can explain change. Realism: focuses on the shifting of distribution of power amongst states. Instills pragmatic appreciation of the role of power but also warns that the state will suffer if they over reach. Liberalism: highlights the rising number of democracies and the turbulence of democratic transitions. Highlights cooperative potential of mature democracies, especially when working together through effective institutions. Notes democracies" tendency to crusade against tyrannies and the propensity of emerging democracies to collapse into violent ethnic turmoil. Idealism: illuminates changing norms of sovereignty, human rights and international justice as well as the increased potency of religious ideas in politics. Stresses that a consensus on values must underpin any stable political order. Recognizes that forging such a consensus often requires an ideological struggle with the potential for conflict. **theories act as a powerful check on each other - they reveal the weaknesses in each others arguments which can lead to misguided policies.
