POLI 244 Study Guide - Irredentism, Private Good, Ethnic Conflict
5 Oct 2013
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Document Summary
The absence of a central authority with the ability to make and enforce laws that bind all actors. Central to the realist conception of the self-help system. Hobbes, life is brutish and short, as a result of anarchy. A situation in which military capabilities of two states or groups of states are roughly equal. States pursue this balance through balancing behavior; when one state becomes too powerful, other states will form alliances to counter this relative gain in power. Can exhibit balancing behavior through the formation of alliances. Related to mearsheimer and the use of calculated aggression by advantaged states. Juxtaposed with hegemonic stability theory, aligned with bipolarity or multi-polarity. Takes international politics to be a reflection of human nature dabbles in moral philosophy. Largely associated with the search for explanations for wwi and wwii. Assumed people to be inherently selfish and power hungry explanation for war. Human nature no longer considered a valid explanation of international relations.
