IAFF 1005 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: John Ikenberry, Kenneth Waltz, Hans Morgenthau
26 Mar 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Ir system is anarchic because there is no supreme world authority or governing force. It is a state that is permissive of war. Important because it helps to explain why there is conflict between states. Each state must be self sufficient and is worried about its security because there are no laws preventing other states from attacking it. Anarchy is the key defining feature in ir for realists because it influences state behavior, conflict, and war. To help combat anarchy, states have created international institutions such as the united nations to create order and mitigate conflict. A state is a political entity that has borders and territory, sovereignty, government that provides security and law and order, and is recognized by other states. States are highly important to the analysis of the international system and serve as the key actors in realist theory. It is the actions of states that drives and shifts the international system.
